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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 




THE 



ROAD TO SUCCESS; 



A BOOK FOR 



BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 



REV. AARON WANNER, D. D., 

Author of a book "On the Family." 



READING, PA.: 

DANIEL MILLER, PUBLISHER. 

1888. 






COPYRIGHT, 1888, BY 
AARON WANNER. 



PREFACE 



We have quoted from the following sources, viz : 
Statements from articles in The Christian World, Day- 
ton, Ohio ; " The Little Boy's Reasons," from Youth's 
Temperance Banner; the quotations in reference to Col. 
T. A. Scott, from York Daily; statements in reference 
to Dr. J. Prideaux, from The American Messenger; 
several historical facts from R. M. Devens ; part of a 
page is quoted from the well-known author, R. Sears. 
A number of the quotations given to illustrate and con- 
firm our statements, are from the pen of Dr. H. Har- 
baugh, in The Guardian. The last piece of poetry is 
from the New England Journal of Education. We 
have also quoted from the Reformed Messenger, pub- 
lished in Philadelphia. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I.— Introductory. Page 5 

CHAPTER II.— Health.— Boyhood.— The Boy Father to 
the Man.— Principles of the Boy will Develop. 12 

CHAPTER III.— Encouragement.— The Future.— Pros- 
perity Comes by Effort and Toil.— Much in Store for You. 
—Begin to Pluck. 25 

CHAPTER IV.— Associates and Books. * 35 

CHAPTER V.— Be Trustworthy.— Be Honest. 41 

CHAPTER VI.— Self-Made Men. 49 

CHAPTER VII.— Be Economical and Obliging.— Give 
Due Attention to Cleanliness. — Honor Your Parents. 56 

CHAPTER VIII.— Country Boys.— Important Factors. 
— Will Figure in Our Future History.— Will be Heard From. 
— Rev. G. W. Galaudet's Inquiry. Illustrative Examples. 63 
CHAPTER IX.— To the Country.— Nature.— Its Lessons. 82 
CHAPTER X.— Set Your Mark High.— Make Your Best 
Efforts to Reach it. — Despise Not the Day of Small Days. 
—Sentenced to Death. 87 

CHAPTER XL— Choice of Occupation. 126 

CHAPTER XII.— Miscellaneous Topics. 134 

CHAPTER XIII. — Avoid the Leaks that Drain the 
Purses of the Multitude. 143 

CHAPTER XIV.— The Indolent Boy. 161 

CHAPTER XV.— Late Hours at Night. 165 

CHAPTER XVI.— Success Depends on Vigorous, Per- 
severing, Well- Directed Effort. 171 
CHAPTER XVII.— Labor and Capital. 177 
CHAPTER XVIIL— The Bible.— Its Opening Doctrines. 
—Faith— The Golden Rule.— True Merit Valued by All. 188 
CHAPTER XIX.— Practical Suggestions. 197 
CHAPTER XX.— Reverence God.— Show Due Respect 
for Things Sacred. 209 

CHAPTER XXI.— The Work of Life Accomplished Step 
by Step.— Little by Little. 211 

CHAPTER XXII.— The Two Roads.— The Right and 
the Wrong. 218 

CHAPTER XXIII.— Sin.— Its Consequences.— Its Rem- 
edy. 226 
CHAPTER XXIV.— Religion.— How to Seek God. 233 



CHAPTER I. 



INTRODUCTORY, 



The writer comes before you, young reader, without 
any formal introduction. I trust, however, we shall not 
travel together long before we shall become sufficiently 
well acquainted to render each other's company agree- 
able. I know there is "no end to books." They are 
cheap, and gotten up in good taste. Many of them are 
written in the most pleasing and entertaining style. 
Hence their perusal, independent of their merits, becomes 
certain. The book now in your hand may not be so 
fascinating in style as some other books you have read. 
It does not abound in sharp witticisms, touching humor 
and sparkling gems. But it comes to you with an ear- 
nest message drawn from the Bible, experience, history 
and -observation. The Bible has been my most valuable 
companion in life. Experience has taught me many 
important lessons that I could not have learned from 
books. My observation of the conduct of the young, 
through the days of boyhood and youth, has furnished 
me with much material used in the production of this 
little book. The lessons I have learned from these 
sources have been most favorable in their results in my 
own history. I am the more zealous, therefore, to use 
them, together with such other hints and suggestions as 



b INTRODUCTORY. 

may present themselves to my mind, for the benefit of 
the young. My object is to benefit, rather than to amuse 
the reader. Hence I shall try to be plain in style and 
simple in method. The thirst for knowledge felt by 
boys and young men must be satisfied. They want 
books on a variety of subjects. They will buy and read 
them. In their fiery zeal for the increase of knowledge 
they reach out in every direction to obtain it. You wish 
to gather such knowledge as will be useful to you, and 
enable you the more successfully to meet the emergen- 
cies of life before you. 

Hence I trust the little messenger in your hands, 
coming to you with kindly greetings, will meet with a 
hearty welcome. His mission to you is a mission of 
love. He does not come to lord authority over you, 
but wishes to extend to you the helping hand of friendly 
counsel. He does not come to you in gaudy attire, but 
in plain apparel. His message is not imaginary, but 
practical. It has to do with the stern realities of every 
day life. Its object is to furnish you with the weapons 
necessary to successfully fight the battle of life. It also 
contains instructions for their use. These have been 
suggested by what has been seen, experienced and no- 
ticed in the conduct of others. 

Having been in the school of observation more than 
half a century, I will try to bring forward things new 



INTRODUCTORY. 7 

and old, which I hope will be interesting and profitable 
to you. From them you will learn why it is that some 
persons succeed so well in what they undertake, and 
why others fail in all their enterprises. 

Success depends much on natural talent. No mat- 
ter how great the hinderances in the way, native power 
will develop itself in some form or other, and make it- 
self felt. But very often for want of a manly nobility 
of purpose and principle, it degenerates and leads its 
possessors into by-paths of vice and crime. 

Ordinary gifts require a greater degree of energy 
and more persevering application. Hence persons of 
inferior talents find it necessary to axert themselves the 
more vigorously, in order to make their way. These 
are likely to value their attainments, and to turn them 
to the best uses they can. By doing this they rise above 
others of superior talents and become distinguished as 
artists, statesmen and benefactors of their fellow-men. 
In my effort to show and illustrate the preceding, I 
will first call your attention to the period of life through 
which you are now passing. Some of the things I shall 
advance will apply to boys only, whilst the greater part 
will apply to young men also, with equal or greater 
force. The reader will be able to make the proper ap- 
plication. 

In entering on the work before us, we must not for- 
get the present. It is the period in your history that 



8 INTRODUCTORY. 

will weaken or strengthen you in whatever of good or 
evil there may be in you. You are imbibing principles 
and experiencing tendencies that will develop and be- 
come permanent in the formation of character. This 
formative period in your life involves progress, as well 
an many changes. Hence it is of the utmost importance 
that you now adopt right principles, and earnestly strive 
to carry them into practice. The present should be the 
time for improvement on the past. This is expected of 
you. As you advance in years and increase in knowl- 
edge, you should constantly strive to become more manly 
and reliable in your deportment. The influences from 
abroad that would mislead you, must be resisted. You 
possess the will-power necessary to resist temptation. 
Use it in favor of that which is becoming and right. 
Your parents, guardians and friends take an interest in 
you. They see the dangers to which you are exposed 
more fully than you do. Heed their good counsel. Con- 
sider well what they say. The relations you sustain to 
others, the influences brought to bear on you from 
abroad and at home, constitute a mould that will have 
much to do with the formation of your character. 

The proper consideration of these facts should stimu- 
late you carefully to choose the right and resist the 
wrong at every step. This will give you an advantage 



INTRODUCTORY. 9 

in the start that will be a help to you all the way through 
life. 

The young are likely to be misled by placing too 
much confidence in the suggestions and opinions of oth- 
ers. It is well enough to listen to the advice of the 
aged and more intelligent. Their experience and knowl- 
edge of things qualify them to impart good counsel. 
Bat it is not safe to follow the miserable suggestions and 
dictates of the ignorant and inexperienced, however hon- 
est and upright they may be. " Good meaning" people 
are not necessarily good and safe guides to the young. 
Their ignorance, prejudices and consequent errors, both 
in reference to temporal and spiritual things, in most 
cases disqualify them to lead and direct others. Hence 
it becomes a matter of no small importance to the young 
to adopt a manly independence of thought and the ex- 
ercise of an uubiased judgment. If dependent on the 
suggestions and dictates of others, one can at best go on 
stilts only, and is constantly in danger of falling. Hence 
do your own thinking. Use the logic of common good 
sense. Form your own conclusions, and you will do well. 

Do not wrap yourself up in the popish idea of self- 
infallibility. Xever forget that there is always room 
for an increase of light and knowledge. Seek the truth. 
When you have found it, hold fast to it. Turn it to 
practical use. 
2 



10 INTRODUCTORY. 

Whilst under age, obedient to parents and guardi- 
ans, you do not act on your own responsibility. You 
are dependent on them and subject to their authority. 
Their age, knowledge and experience qualify them to be 
placed over you. It was not designed, however, to keep 
you in this state of dependence. As your knowledge 
increases, your experience enlarges and your judgment 
matures, you will use the age of majority, when you will 
become free. Now you will be at liberty to start out 
and make your way in the world as best you can. You 
now realize a sense of responsibility unknown to you 
before. If successful, you will know whom to give the 
credit for it. If defeated, you will know whom to blame. 
A consciousness of this will inspire a feeling of manly 
independence and personal responsibility. 

A young man who engages in business of any kind 
should not venture out too far at the start. Many make 
this mistake. They risk and lose their all. Better than 
become involved in pecuniary difficulties, or risk too 
much, do business on a more limited scale. Unfortu- 
nately too many among the young have a contempt for 
the day of small things. To step on the lower rung of 
the ladder is too humiliating to them. To live in an 
humble home, with no more furniture and household 
goods than are necessary for comfort, looks too much 
like poverty. They cannot endure it. It wounds their 



INTRODUCTORY. 11 

pride. Hence the more costly furniture, and many ar- 
ticles not necessary for comfort, are purchased to keep 
up appearances. Persons who adopt this policy, not hav- 
ing the funds necessary to begin "in style," soon find 
themselves involved to such an extent as really to be- 
come embarrassed in their'business. The wiser and bet- 
ter policy in all cases is to consult one's means and cir- 
cumstances, and then to live accordingly. This is a 
most important matter — a lesson ever} 7 one should learn. 
If you fail to learn and practise it, you will be likely to 
fail in all your undertakings. 

Those who carefully start out in life, determined at 
all times to adopt such style of living as is consistent 
with their means, are most likely to succeed. The econ- 
omy they adopt will help them through the most trying 
circumstances of life in an honest and hopeful way. As 
they succeed, they can enlarge their business and in- 
crease their gains. As their gains will increase, the com- 
forts and luxuries of life they could not afford at first 
will now be so much the more enjoyed. 



chapter rr. 



Health.-Boyhood.-"The Boy Father to the Man." 
Principles of the Boy Will Develop. 

Proper attention to the promotion of health, first of 
all, claims your attention. Your bodies must not be 
overlooked nor neglected. You should not expose your- 
selves unnecessarily to the inclemency of the weather, 
or any other source of danger to health. A weak, sickly 
body is a great impediment in the way to one's success. 
It is like a broken, leaky roof, which subjects everything 
in the house to injury. It not only subjects to pain and 
misery, but also hinders the mind from filling its mis- 
sion. It depresses the soul and weakens the intellect. 
In many cases the disadvantages brought on by ill health 
have embittered life; have caused it to become a bur- 
den, and in some cases have induced persons to commit 
suicide. If you would ward off these, you must so live, 
in the practise of temperate habits, as that your health 
will be preserved. You must have considerable exer- 
cise in the open air. You not only need food, but it 
should be nourishing, healthful food. Excesses in lift- 
ing, running, jumping, <fec, should be carefully avoided. 

Carelessness is one of the leading causes of danger to 
which the young are exposed. A boy attempts to jump 
from a train whilst in motion. He falls, gets under the 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 13 

wheels, and has a hand or foot crushed. A second 'has- 
tens to the river to bathe. Whilst in a state of perspi- 
ration he casts himself into the water, and* takes the 
cramp or becomes subject to rheumatism to the end of* 
life. By guarding against these and other causes of dan- 
ger to good health, disease and suffering will not become 
a source of trouble to you. Good health may be enjoyed 
with all its blessings, with few interruptions, to the end 
of life. Boyhood is a very important period of life. 
Possibly you are so much occupied by your earnest as- 
pirations to look into the future, as to be too forgetful 
of the present and its great significance. This would be 
unfortunate, as your success in the future will depend in 
a great measure on the right improvement of the present. 
The days of youth are full of joyous play and amuse- 
ments. They are like the beautiful sunshine in the 
early morning. The bright sun in the clear sky may 
become brighter and warmer as the day advances. Pros- 
perity may sweetly smile on you, your efforts succeed, 
and life become a joy and a delight. Friends will then 
be numerous, means become abundant, and all other 
things necessary to make life pleasant and agreeable, 
will be at hand. Or the opposite, possibly, may be your 
lot. Your days may become gloomy. You may be 
chilled and disappointed in all your expectations by the 
clouds of misfortune and the chilly winds of adversity. 



14 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

One may have a limb broken. Another may fall a vic- 
tim to incurable disease. A third may lose his hearing 
or his sight. In many other ways you may become af- 
'flicted, and the bright morning of life be turned into 
darkness. 

Be thankful if none of these calamities have befallen 
you. Guard against danger, and use all the precautions 
you can for the preservation of life and health. Forget 
not those who have been afflicted and are passing through 
adversity. 

The blind, the deaf, the maimed and helpless of ev- 
ery description deserve your most tender sympathy. 
You should, in every respect, encourage and aid them. 
Christ declares in the Gospel, that whatsoever is done in 
this way to any of his believing children, is done unto 
Him. You will be sure to get your reward. To the af- 
flicted ones who may read these lines we say, do not let 
your courage fail. Be of good cheer. That God, who 
supports and comforts the widow and the fatherless in 
their affliction, will not forsake you, but will give you 
such relief and send you such help as will be best. Do 
your duty toward Him. He will so order events that 
everything will work together for your good. In the 
history of Job you have a striking illustration of this. 
In the day of adversity, robbed of all his wealth, be- 
reaved of his seven sons and three daughters, accused by 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 15 

Satan, deserted by his friends, and suffering from the 
terrible malady with which he had been stricken down, 
he loathed himself to such degree that he preferred death 
to life. He said, "My soul chooseth strangling and 
death before my life." The pressure brought to bear 
on you may seem heavier than is endurable. With Job 
you may sometimes see the dark side only and wish 
yourself in the grave. Under this pressure do not take 
your life. But like Job, put your trust in God, and all 
will come right in the end. The dark cloud over Job 
was removed, and the brightest and most prosperous 
days of this man of God were yet in store for him. So 
may it be with you. 

The boy precedes and is master of the man. The 
principles and qualities that constitute the character of 
the boy will continue through youth, and from youth 
will be transferred to the rising man. Hence, as is the 
boy, so also will be the coming man. 

If you ask, how can this be true ? we answer, it fol- 
lows from the nature of things. The principles imbibed 
by the young heart will develop and show themselves 
in outward actions. These, as well as the principles 
which produce them, will enter into the formation of 
the boy's character. During the years of boyhood his 
character becomes more or less firmly established ; hab- 
its are formed, which, with but little modification, will 



16 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

cleave to him to the end of life. Hence it follows that 
the principles adopted and the habits formed in early 
life, whether good or evil, will control the future man. 

The position here taken is fully illustrated and es- 
tablished by the well-known fact that bad boys invari- 
ably make bad men, and good boys good men. The 
exceptions to the general rule are very few. In confir- 
mation of this you need only look at the moral wrecks 
around you. Make a careful inquiry into their past 
history, and you will soon learn that they began their 
evil practices in early life, and that they have continued 
them without interruption. Young reader, the same 
results from a similar course of conduct in your history 
will follow in the usual order of events. If, at this 
early period of your life, you drink from the corrupt 
fountains of vice to which you have access, yield to the 
evil influences around (and it may be in) you, and form 
the bad habits which usually follow, your case will be 
next to hopeless. In spite of any good resolutions you 
may adopt to reform in later years, leech-like the evil 
habits previously formed and the vices practised will 
cleave to and draw the life-blood from you. They will 
gradually weaken and finally bring you down to a state 
of helpless disgrace and misery ! 

The men of low character, profligate lives and vi- 
cious habits, who disgrace society, with rare exceptions 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 17 

began their course of misconduct in boyhood. Lying, 
stealing, profane swearing and general profligacy, in 
most cases, can be traced to this period. The "roughs" 
and hard characters of every description, it will be seen 
on a close examination of their past history, commenced 
their downward career when but from twelve to eigh- 
teen years old. This statement is confirmed by the re- 
ports and statistics of our alms-houses, jails, penitentia- 
ries, and the confessions of criminals on their way to 
the gallows. A number of striking examples in illus- 
tration of the preceeding have come under our own im- 
mediate notice. We have met with fallen ones, in some 
cases from respectable and wealthy families, rejected by 
society, disowned by friends, dejected, comfortless and 
miserable! Vice and crime had reduced them to the 
lowest depths of degradation and misery. These had 
their start in early life. The sting that caused them to 
wither and pine away was inflicted on them in their 
youth. Unrestricted indulgence, bad training and diso- 
bedience to parents preceeded and had prepared the way 
for their ruin. 

With the Christian philanthropist, as he looks at 
the desolation and misery produced by vice and crime 
around him, the question arises, can anything be done 
to prevent these evils and rescue those who have been 
ruined by them ? Is there any hope for them ? The 



18 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

strength of bad habits and the influence of associates in 
vice and crime are so great as to leave but little hope for 
deliverance from the power of the evils that have brought 
about their fall. Besides, the vices in which they have 
indulged, have weakened them to such an extent that 
their occasional promises and declared purposes to re- 
form, generally prove a complete failure. The only 
hope that remains for them is that contained in the Gos- 
pel, pardon through the Lord Jesus. Faith, repentance 
and reformation of life are the only things that -can res- 
cue these perishing prodigals. Even these leave the sub- 
jects of pardon under great disadvantages. The evil 
deeds of the pardoned criminal cannot be blotted out of 
existence. No effort, no power can annihilate them. 
Bitterest sorrow and grief cannot undo the evil deeds that 
should never have been committed. In spite of all that 
can be done to obliterate them, they will exist as facts, 
and occasionally turn up in memory with the bitterness 
of wormwood and gall ! What a warning this should 
be to all, to guard against wrong-doing. It is the poi- 
son of life ; the source of untold misery ! We turn away 
from this sad picture to another of a more favorable 
character. Examples altogether different have also come 
under our notice. These come at intervals in the world's 
history like sunshine on partially cloudy days. We 
welcome them. They cheer us on our way and inspire 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 19 

us with new zeal. The number of great and good men 
in the history of the world has not been so large as 
might have been desired. Yet they have dotted the 
moral heavens and shone forth with great brilliancy. 
Their unselfish lives have illuminated the pages of his- 
tory and very much modified the character of a sin- 
stricken world by their deeds of benevolence, their up- 
rightness of conduct and Christian philanthropy. 

In the Bible we read of an Enoch, " who walked 
with God," and whom God translated from earth to 
heaven, without being taken through the darkness and 
sufferings of a natural death. Elijah, "the man of God," 
was caught and borne away from earth in a chariot of 
fire, and conveyed through the regions of space to the 
same glorious abode. Abraham, "the father of the 
faithful," and Moses, the greatest of the prophets, were 
known all through the East as personages of great re- 
nown and benefactors to their fellow men. From the 
depressed state of abject slavery, Joseph, by patient en- 
durance of wrongs, by personal integrity and piety un- 
der God's favor, was elevated to the most exalted posi- 
tion of honor and power at the throne of Pharaoh. Sam- 
uel was a renowned prophet, and the most distinguished 
and useful man in Israel during the forty years of SauPs 
reign. Daniel was delivered from his captivity at Baby- 
lon, and as a reward for his moral courage, his firm ad- 



20 THE EOAD TO SUCCESS. 

herence to the worship of the true God, was protected 
from harm in the lions' den, favored "with many great 
gifts," and made ruler over the whole province of Baby- 
lon by Nebuchadnezzar, the reigning monarch. The 
Bible abounds in the names of men who became distin- 
guished by noble deeds, and whom God signally blessed. 
They were bright and shining lights amid the darkness 
of the remote ages in which they lived. A noteworthy 
feature in the -history of a number of these distinguished 
worthies is the fact that they feared the Lord from the 
days of their youth. This was, to a great extent, the 
secret of their success and usefulness. 

The pages of profane history, too, abound in the 
names of great and good men. They occupied promi- 
nent positions as reformers, advocates of law and order 
among the men of their times. They were defenders of 
the right and enemies of the wrong. They were active, 
energetic workers. They did great service to their coun- 
try in the promotion of justice and in the advancement 
of the public good. Their example is admired by all 
and their influence still felt. 

But we need not confine ourselves to the Bible and 
history for examples with which to illustrate the princi- 
ples we advocate. All around us we have living wit- 
nesses, who by their daily actions show that they are 
governed by the saving doctrines and truths of the Gos- 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 21 

pel. Their paths in life have been marked with charity 
and deeds of benevolence. They are useful citizens and 
worthy members of the church. They are a comfort to 
the afflicted, a help to the poor. 

Your school-days form a bright spot in your history. 
In most cases they are days of joyous, cheery sunshine. 
They have connected with them much that is pleasant. 
They have developed many boyish freaks and amusing 
incidents. Free from the cares and anxieties of later 
years, the buoyant spirits of the young are kept in pleas- 
ant mood by the sanguine hopes they cherish as they 
look into the future. These hopes incite them to build 
beautiful air-castles. They vainly imagine that all will 
be bright and prosperous. But alas ! in only too many 
instances their hopes will not be realized. 

But you must not let these quench 'the ardor of your 
spirits. The explosion of a few bubbles and the failure 
of imaginary achievements are a necessary part of the 
training every one should have. It prepares for the 
disappointments and defeats with which every one will 
meet as he makes his way through the clash and clamor 
of competition in the busy world around us. 

Improve your school privileges. They are peculi- 
arly advantageous. In our public school system provi- 
sion is made 'or the education of all, without any dis- 
tinction. No difference is made between rich and poor, 



22 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

white and colored. Hence poverty can no longer be 
advanced as an excuse for ignorance. If there be any 
children in country or town who grow up untaught, 
it must be their own fault or the fault of their parents. 

Our public schools are accessible to our children as 
soon as they are old enough to attend the same to any 
advantage. They are admitted to the school room at 
an early age, and can have the advantages it affords un- 
til twenty-one, or such time as circumstances may dic- 
tate. All that is necessary for the instruction and men- 
tal training of the young to qualify them for useful em- 
ployment and business of almost any kind, can be had 
in these schools. If you have attended them and will 
continue to do so whilst you can, you will become pre- 
pared for the farm, the shop, the store, public office, or 
even for the learned professions. A little additional 
study, diligent application and perseverance will qualify 
you for almost any office or profession. With the school 
privileges you have, a successful future should be yours. 

Whilst attending school, there is always more or less 
time devoted to play under some form or other. This 
is not only pleasant, but also of real advantage. At no 
time is exercise out in the open air more needed than 
during the time boys attend school. It is absolutely ne- 
cessary to promote bodily health and mental vigor. The 
only danger to which children are exposed by it, is the 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 23 

tendency to become too fond of it. Against this ten- 
dency it becomes necessary to guard. Your studies must 
always be regarded as of the first importance. Play and 
recreation, necessary as they may be, are secondary. Be- 
sides, as you advance in your studies, you become older, 
stronger, and consequently able to render important ser- 
vices to your parents and guardians, on whom you are 
dependent for your daily support. These services you 
should cheerfully render. You should do every thing 
in your power to show that you duly appreciate paren- 
tal kindnesses to you. Obedience to them, therefore, 
has strouger claims on you than play can have. Hence, 
at their call play must at once be abandoned. Never 
let a second call be necessary. Prompt obedience is a 
significant feature in the history of boys. Delay looks 
very much like disobedience, and very often defeats the 
ends for which a boy's services are needed. Repeated 
delay shows a disregard for the authority of parents, and 
is highly censurable. Tardy boys are most likely to 
become tardy men. Tardy men, no matter what their 
employment, become subjected to many inconveniences 
and not unfrequently to heavy losses. What is worth 
doing at all should be done without any unnecessary de- 
lay. This will insure success, and involve no risks. 
We, therefore, insist on prompt, instant obedience. It 
is the forerunner of success in a boy's life. The boy 



24 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

who moves at the moment the command is given for the 
performance of duty, promises well for the future. 
Boys, don't forget that. Prompt obedience will bring 
you its blessed reward. It will establish for you a good 
reputation, and secure to you the confidence of all who 
know you. With this in your favor, you will be able 
to make a hopeful and encouraging beginning in the 
world. 

Be generous and honest in your amusements and 
play with others. Do not impose upon the weaker. All 
will respect and esteem you for kindness and generosity 
shown to others. When others try to take the advan- 
tage of, or pick a quarrel with you, rather than get into a 
wrangle, peaceably withdraw from the game. It is better 
and more honorable to do this than to get angry and 
come to blows. You can afford to quit play, but not to 
enter into a fight. 

You should not tarry too long at play or amuse- 
ments. These, like many other things in themselves 
right, may be overdone. When overdone, they no longer 
serve their purposes. 



CHAPTER III. 



Encouragement.— The Future. — Prosperity Conies 

hy Effort and Toil.— Much in Store for 

you. — Begin to Pluck. 



Be of good cheer, young reader, the future smiles 
hopefully upon you. Its treasures, in due time, will be 
at your disposal. In it for you are the golden days of 
riper years. Infancy and childhood with their incon- 
veniences and sufferings soon pass and are forgotten. 
Not so with the future. Its realities are still before 
you. They are on the way to meet you. You hasten 
and press forward to greet them. You are eager to pos- 
sess them. Boyhood's warm heart and the fiery impul- 
ses of youth inspire you with the most sanguine hopes 
and expectations. You lean forward and with ardent 
longings try to look into the future, eager to take hold 
of and possess whatever of good it may have in store 
for you. 

This ardent disposition to press forward is natural 
and commendable. We would not check it. Much 
rather would we add fuel to the fire and fan it into full 
blaze. Let your young hearts swell with hope and burn 
with ardent anticipations of better days and greater en- 
joyments. These, however, will be yours only on con- 
dition that you fill the mission for which you have been 
3 



26 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

designed. This mission requires you to use the talents 
God has given you, for His glory and the extension of 
His kingdom among men. In your efforts to accom- 
plish this work, put your trust in God and look to Him 
for the aid you need. In connection with this, be dili- 
gent in your efforts, and you will succeed. Sow in hope, 
and in due time you will have an abundant harvest to 
reap. Your faults and mistakes will be overlooked. 
All the means for success and prosperity are at your dis- 
posal. All you need do, is make a proper use and ap- 
plication of them. Take courage, then, and be cheer- 
ful. Your prospects are good. Do not stand still or 
heartlessly blunder along the paths of life, as if incapa- 
ble of performing any good and noble deeds. On the 
contrary, knowing that the latent powers within you 
may be developed to great advantage, we urge you to 
apply yourselves with proper zeal and energy to make 
the best use you can of the time and the talents you 
possess. Bravely encounter any opposition that may 
meet you on your way. Let it not discourage you, nor 
divert your attention from the grand object in view, nor 
weaken you in your efforts to fight the battles of life. 
In your struggles against evil and for the right, you 
must be firm and decided. If you would succeed, you 
must not look in one direction and attempt to row your 
boat in another. You must not grasp the world with 
one hand and reach for heaven with the other. 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 27 

Your eye must be single. It must have but one 
object in view. That object must be to do right, to ac- 
complish the mission of life, whatever may be the con- 
sequences that will follow. The results of a proper 
course of conduct must be left to work their own way. 

Stern and unconditional as the preceeding affirma- 
tions may seem to you, they are not any too positive. 
They only demand what is necessary to bring you safely 
through the vicissitudes of the present life. Their ob- 
servance will minister to your best interests. They do 
not in any wise come in conflict with the more mild, 
pleasing and enjoyable features of youthful life. They 
do not exclude the recreation necessary to make life 
cheerful and happy. These are important in their place 
and must not be excluded. At no period in life are 
they so desirable and necessary as in the days of boy- 
hood. The buoyant spirits of sprightly boys must not be 
chained down to an order of life that will chill their ar- 
dor and fetter their active souls. They must have free- 
dom to act and give vent to the fiery impulses of their 
nature. Although they should carefully observe the 
rules of conduct above suggested, we should give them 
liberty enough in every direction to make them con- 
scious of their responsibility. This is absolutely neces- 
sary, if we would encourage them in the cultivation of 
proper feelings of self-respect. This the young have a 



28 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

right to claim. This right, we most cheerfully grant, is 
due them. Hence, we can consistently say to you, be 
cheerful, give vent to the nobler impulses of the young 
life that animates you. Rather than discourage the in- 
nocent amusements you need and so much enjoy, we 
would enter the ring, join you in your boyish sports, 
and after having passed through these with you, lead 
the way to that which will be of greater service to you. 
We say, then, let the crack of your whips be heard in 
your youthful sports and amusements. When done 
with these, turn your attention to that which is more 
useful. At your work be as cheerful and active as you 
are when on the play grounds. Whatever comes to 
hand claiming your attention, should be attended to 
without delay. Do not put off for to-morrow what can 
and should be done to-day. Be ready for work, for 
business, and dispatch the same with pleasure and speed. 
Proper exertions, well directed, will not be without their 
good results. These will be a source of pleasure and 
satisfaction to you. They will cheer and encourage you 
on your way. Hence you should not allow yourselves 
to become indifferent, nor sit down and fold your arms 
so long as any thing remains on hand to be done. Only 
when work is well done, will rest be in order and come 
to your relief. The indolent boy never works. He 
never enjoys rest. He never enjoys rest, simply because 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 29 

he never works. He never reaps nor lays up for the 
future, because he never plows nor sows ! 

We need men, strong men ; true, noble, good men. 
We need them in the family, in the field, in the work- 
shop, and in all the different branches of business and 
commerce. We need them in the learned professions, 
and in all the departments of government. We need 
them at Washington, in every State Capital, on the seat 
of justice, and for all the places filled by our public of- 
ficials. We need them in the church, in the professor's 
chair. We need them everywhere, to correct abuses, to 
cleanse the haunts of vice and corruption, and to bring 
about a general reformation in business, in politics, and 
the morals of the masses. 

THE WORLD HATH NEED OF NOBLE MEN. 

The world hath need of honest men, 

Who in the strength of truth's great might 
Will scorn the falseness of the times, 

And bravely battle for the right. 
The need is great ; in every land 

Truth waits a champion for her cause : 
For error reigns a king supreme, 

And violates her sacred laws. 

The world hath need of fearless men, 

Who, calm amid its cold despite, 
Will tear the tinsel from its shams, 

And on their darkness shed a light. 
Too long have falsehood and mistrust, 

With ignorance and strife and hate, 
In bondage held the human heart, 

And laid its beauty desolate. 



30 THE KOAD TO SUCCESS. 

The world hath need of earnest men, 

To speed the time when hand in hand 
The nation shall rejoice in one 

Great undivided fatherland ) 
When jealousy and party strife 

Shall yield to peace and liberty, 
And men shall own no bondage but 

The bonds of true fraternity. 

The world hath need of noble men ; 

It waits, and cannot wait in vain ; 
A cry comes from the multitude— 

A cry of sorrow and of pain ; 
For men begin to think, and thought 

Must teach eternal truth sublime, 
That soon shall brighten into day 

The dawnings of a better time. 

The "better time," we trust, will come. But it will 
not come so long as corrupt, selfish, unprincipled men 
control the affairs of the nations, and the church be dis- 
graced by unholy dissensions, bigotry, and the worldly 
spirit which now so extensively pervades her. We 
must first have great, good and noble men in church 
and state, to whom the administration of public interests 
can safely be entrusted. And, before we can have such 
men, we must have a generation of active, honest, noble 
boys to precede them. The production of a generation 
of such requires due moral culture and intellectual 
training. They must be taught to do right and be 
trained in the faithful performance of duty. This im- 
portant work must be commenced in the family by par- 
ents. They have this work committed to them. The 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 31 

Scriptures require that they bring up their children in 
the way they should go, assuring them that if this be 
done, their offspring will continue in that way to old 
age Christian parents believe this and, therefore, try 
to bring up their children in the "fear of the Lord." 
By example and precept they try to bring them up in 
the way of an honest, upright, Christian life. Boys fre- 
quently complain of their parents as being too strict, be- 
cause they keep them under proper restraint. Young 
and inexperienced, they do not see the danger to which 
they are exposed, as their parents see it. Had they the 
age, the experience and knowledge their parents have, 
they would think otherwise. They would see many 
things in a different light. They would see danger 
where, with their limited knowledge, they suspect no 
evil. Instead of regarding the restraint thrown around 
them by the proper exercise of parental authority as op- 
pressive, they would love and esteem their parents the 
more for its exercise. 

The present is the time for sowing ; the future for 
reaping. What the harvest will be, depends more on 
your conduct in the present than on any thing else. 
For, what you sow, that will you also reap. Do not 
forget, therefore, that before you can gather any fruit 
from the tree, you must plant it. -You must attend to 
present duty before you can reasonably expect to realize 



32 THE EOAD TO SUCCESS. 

any good from it. In our daily experience, that which 
was planted at an earlier time is ready for gathering in 
the near future. Hence, whilst we are sowing to-day 
what we expect to reap in the future, there is ready for 
gathering what was sown in the past. You see then, 
my young reader, that whilst you are planting in hope 
for the future, you may at the same time also gather of 
the ripe fruits of what you have planted. These, although 
ready for use, will not of themselves drop into your 
laps. You must reach out and pluck them. Here is 
the grand secret of making your efforts a complete suc- 
cess. Not in idleness, indifference and folding of the 
hands, but in energetic, persevering effort. You must 
not only sow and plant, but also reap the harvest, and 
gather the ripe fruit. It will be of no real benefit to 
you to see apples of gold suspended on the tree of for- 
tune. What you want, is their possession and full en- 
joyment. This you cannot have without lawful, just 
and persevering effort. Too many stand and gaze with 
longing eyes at what they see and earnestly covet, but 
fail to obtain. They fail to obtain it, because they have 
not the wisdom, energy and perseverance necessary to 
secure it. 

Bear in mind, prosperity is not and will not be 
yours without effort. It will not seize you by the hair, 
bear you onward and upward through "the Elysian 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 33 

Fields" of fortune and perfect happiness, whilst you lull 
in a miserable stupor. 

The gold of California did not pull the door-bells at 
the homes of eastern Yankees and offer them its full 
possession without exposure and toil. If they would 
possess the precious metal, they must first find the loca- 
tion of the deposit, and then by hard, persevering toil 
gather or bring up their treasures from the depths be- 
low. As did these hardy adventurers, so must you do, 
if you would gather into your laps life's treasures. They 
are not on the surface, gathered and ready for immedi- 
ate use. They are not strewn along our highways for 
any one to stumble over, pick up and possess. They 
are the fruits of toil. They come like the rich harvest. 
Their possession is preceeded by labor, plowing, sowing 
and reaping. Their full enjoyment comes last. So in 
the future, do not expect to reap, possess and enjoy 
without first complying with the necessary conditions. 

Do your best. Be not satisfied with half a measure. 
There is much in store for you. Use the present to the 
best advantage. Reach out the hand, and by proper ef- 
forts begin to pluck as you pass on. This you can do to 
a limited extent at an early period of life. At first your 
gathering in may not be what you desired or expected 
it to be. This may discourage you. You may regard 
your efforts in the past as a failure. Such seeming or 



34 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

partial failures, however, should not discourage you. 
They are preparatory to greater success in the future. 
They are tests by which we are tried. The inexperi- 
enced and weak become discouraged by them ; fear they 
will be weighed in the balance and found wanting. 
Such, when they get into trouble, need more patience 
and increased effort. To stop and cease to exert them- 
selves in the day of trial and disappointment, would be 
sure defeat. The only remedy is an increase of effort. 
Put more water on the wheel and it will be sure to move. 



CHAPTER IV. 



Associates and Books. 



You should be careful in your choice of associates. 
Do not select them from those who are rude and disor- 
derly. These you should shun. To associate with 
them, would create prejudice against you. The com- 
munity will judge you by the company you keep. The 
old poetical proverb : 

"Birds of a feather flock together," 

here will apply with great force. Boys and young men 
of like principles and habits are most likely to associate 
with each other. It is their congeniality of heart and 
likeness of character that brings and keeps them to- 
gether. You see this fact illustrated and confirmed at 
public gatherings. There the young of loose habits and 
bad manners, are soon seen approaching each other. It 
will not take long before they will form into groups. 
This done, they will begin to show their colors. No 
one among them is willing to remain behind the other, 
in showing his skill at folly or mischief. In their wild 
glee, as they move forward, one step prepares the way 
for another, until great improprieties and disorders are 
committed. Hence, any one found in company with 
others of this character, will at once be suspected. This 
suspicion bases itself on the fact that no orderly boy or 



36 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

young man can long mingle with noisy, rudje associates, 
without becoming disgusted at their conduct, or tainted 
through their influence and bad example. If disgusted, 
he will soon turn away from them. If only amused, 
he will look on, most likely become pleased, and finally, 
if not taken from his dangerous position, he will be 
tempted and enticed to commit the same improprieties. 

To this danger all are more or less exposed. In our 
small towns and boroughs, the danger from this quar- 
ter, is greater than in the cities, where a strict vigilance 
is exercised over them. 

The bad influences, under which they are brought by 
their associates, which in most cases result in great evils, 
may not be fully understood. The bad tendencies may 
not be seen. Others, however, do see them. Your 
guardians, parents and friends see them. And, this is 
the reason why they are so anxious, and so persistent in 
their efforts, to warn and guard you against the perilous 
practice of mingling with young persons of low habits 
and vicious character. 

The habits and manners of boys and girls always at- 
tract the attention of ministers. Especially do minis- 
ters notice the conduct of children in the many families 
over which they have beeen placed as pastors. Here, 
more than anywhere else, do they become acquainted 
with the dispositions, inclinations and habits of the 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 37 

young. Here they learn to know their character. But 
whether I had them before me in the school room or at 
their homes, I invariably was impressed with the idea 
that it is a matter of the first importance, in the right 
training of children, to keep them from the influence of 
bad company. Do not conclude from this that I would 
deprive children of the society of the young, and of all 
youthful pleasures. I only desire to guard you against 
the danger threatening you from abroad. You are en- 
titled to a due share of amusement and recreation. To 
make these pleasant and enjoyable, you must have so- 
ciety. It is not only agreeable, but also profitable. It 
is necessary for your own improvement. Mind coming 
in contact with mind, will create a feeling of rivalry, 
and bring into wholesome exercise the latent power 
within you. It will develop your social nature and fit 
you the better for society. We wish you all the pleas- 
ure and freedom possible. At the same time we con- 
sider it absolutely necessary for your best interests, to 
associate in your amusements and play only with those 
of good manners and habits. You will, however, oc- 
casionally be thrown into the society of those with 
whom you should not associate, whilst at your daily 
work. Thus brought into their presence, you should 
not despise nor in any way slight them. But be 
polite, kind and obliging. Should they be present 



38 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

when you are engaged in play with others, invite them 
to take part in the same. Kind treatment and the in- 
fluence of a good example, may be a great benefit to 
them. 

You need something to read. Books are good or 
bad. They exert a great influence for good or evil on 
those who read them. Good books will be a benefit, bad 
ones an injury to you. It is sad that any bad books 
should have been written and published. It is still 
more sad that books of this character are read by the 
masses of the people, in preference to others which are 
instructive and beneficial. 

Yet such is the fact. The multitude prefer works 
of fiction to those of a higher order. And no class of 
readers is so likely to come under the bad influence, 
and to be misled by novels, as the young. Their attrac- 
tive appearance, their cheapness and the great facilities 
with which they are offered to the public, give works 
of fiction an advantage over others. Among those who 
read novels are most of our boys and young men. 
Some of these get their first drink from the dangerous 
fountain through books obtained from the Sunday 
School library. The drug not suspected, nor under- 
stood in its effects, is found palatable. By continued 
reading of books of this kind, a false taste is created, 
which will demand husks, the miserable husks of fic- 
tion, instead of something more substantial and healthy. 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 39 

Ministers of the Gospel, we are sorry to say, in too 
many instances countenance the purchase of books of 
fiction, when they could secure better literature for their 
Sunday School libraries. They abhor the " pious frauds," 
invented and so successfully used formerly in the Ro- 
man Catholic Church, as a shameless imposition on a 
credulous people. Yet these ministers tolerate insipid 
and miserable productions in their Sunday School libra- 
ries. And what makes the inconsistency the more re- 
markable, is the fact that these pastors occasionally 
come out with great severity against " The corrupt lit- 
erature of the age." This inconsistency deserves severe 
rebuke ! 

If you would be safe in your reading, you should 
select books which will enrich the mind with useful 
knowledge, and at the same time strengthen the moral 
faculty. Such books, although not too numerous, can 
be secured. The difficulty with the young reader is, to 
find them. He has not the knowledge, nor the judg- 
ment necessary to make the best selection. Then, too, 
publishers and agents, with few exceptions, will recom- 
mend as good anything they have to sell, no matter 
how worthless. Hence you cannot rely on them. And 
equally little dependence can be placed on the recom- 
mendations of others, who having read a book, think it 
good or interesting. Having read no better books, they 



40 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

do not know that any more interesting or valuable 
books have ever been written 

Your safest course will be, to ask persons of intelli- 
gence, good character and " well read." These can 
form a pretty good idea as to what kind of books you 
should read for your improvement. 



CHAPTER V. 



Be Trustworthy. — Be Honest, 



Early in life you will more or less frequently be 
placed in positions which will show whether you are 
reliable and can be trusted or not. You will be put to 
work in the absence of your parents or employers. At 
the time they are in such a position that they cannot tell 
whether you obey and do your work according to orders 
or not. You may do it hours before, or after the time 
specified. In the feeding or watering of cattle, and 
many other things, the time when work should be done, 
is as important as the work itself. Your parents can- 
not tell, in such cases, whether you have been true to 
them in the performance of duty or not. But you can. 
Just here boys are put to the test. It is here where 
they reveal to themselves whether true and reliable or 
not. If they obey orders and scrupulously do the work 
assigned them, they become conscious of the fact. Hav- 
ing done their work right and at the proper time, they 
will meet their parents or employers with a good con- 
science and cheerful countenance. No fear of being de- 
tected in the neglect of duty will be felt. No evasions 
in answer to questions that may be ' proposed, will be 
necessary. Instead of these, so common in cases of diso- 
bedience or work only half done, all will be found right. 
4 



42 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

The problem of true obedience will be solved. It will 
be solved on its own merits. This will give it the fullest 
value. Boys found obedient in circumstances like these, 
may be set down as trustworthy. They can be relied 
on. Hence they are the boys, if known, who will have 
no trouble to get good situations. They are in demand 
in every community. 

On the other hand, if in the absence of their parents 
or employers they become idle, or do their work only 
half, they show themselves unworthy of confidence. 
They become conscious, also, of their guilt. Hence they 
cannot respect themselves, nor will they be respected by 
others. No one who knows them will give them em- 
ployment. Many who are without work, are idle, not 
because they lack natural gifts or ability to do good ser- 
vices on the farm, in the shop, the store, and elsewhere, 
but because they are too indolent, indifferent or utterly 
worthless. They will not do a full day's work, and in 
many cases what they do, is very badly done. They 
demand high wages, but fail to earn what they ask. 
Hence, if taken into employment on trial, the result 
will always be against them. As soon as an employer 
discovers their real character, they will be dismissed. 
He may not tell them in plain terms the reasons why 
he will not retain them in his employment. The rea- 
son, however, can easily be inferred. A man will pre- 



A BOOK FOE BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 43 

fer being without a boy or salesman, to having a lazy, 
worthless one ajbout him. 

Honesty is another subject to which your attention 
is directed. By honesty I do not mean that you should 
be honest when you cannot overreach or defraud your 
neighbor, but that you speak the truth and be honest in 
all your little business transactions. To lie and deceive, 
in order to get an advantageous bargain, is not only un- 
fair, but contemptibly mean. I know full well that 
honesty, in the good old Bible sense, has, to a consider- 
ble extent, gone out of fashion. Policy has taken its 
place, and is the rule by which the masses of to-day do 
business. The question to be decided is not, is it right 
and fair ? but, " will it pay ?" On this principle men 
are truthful in what they say and honest in their busi- 
ness transactions, provided they can make more by it 
than they could in any other way. If not, other meth- 
ods are adopted and sharp dealing is preferred. The 
honesty taught in the Bible is the honesty I advocate. 
It requires that an equivalent be given for what we ob- 
tain from another, and that no more be required from 
him for anything he may purchase from us. It is sim- 
ply to do to others as we wish them to do to us. The 
eighth commandment says : "Thou shalt not steal." This 
commandment forbids theft in its worst and more daring 
forms. It forbids the taking and appropriating to our- 



44 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. ' 

selves of any thing that belongs to another. It includes 
theft of every description. Boys more or less frequently 
come into temptation to break this commandment. A 
patch of melons, or a tree laden with delicious fruit, be- 
comes very inviting to the boy of keen appetite. Many 
of our country and village boys find it difficult to resist 
the temptation. The opportunity to gratify the appetite 
is at hand. With too many the only question to be met 
is, will any one see the taking of the coveted objects ? 
Will it be found out? If it be believed that the theft 
can be committed without discovery, the decision in fa- 
vor of the act soon follows. When the misdeed has 
been committed, becomes known and is rebuked, boys 
who are guilty commonly excuse themselves by declar- 
ing that the articles stolen were of but little value. This 
plea, however, will not excuse the wrong act.. It was 
stealing. It was a wilful, deliberate violation of the 
commandment. The same authority by which this 
commandment was given says : "He that is unjust in 
small things, will also be unjust in those that are 
greater." Hence we are justified in saying : He that 
steals a little, if an opportunity be offered, will steal 
much. The stealing of apples, peaches or melons will 
prepare the way for the stealing of other things of 
greater value. 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 45 

In our larger towns and cities the temptation to 
steal meets boys from other quarters. The peanut stand, 
the apple basket, the raisin box, the money drawer, &c, 
draw attention, excite the appetite, and this the inclina- 
tion to steal. At first attempts but little may be taken. 
The intention at the time may not be to make stealing 
a business ; yet it invariably tends in that direction. A 
repetition in stealing on a small scale prepares the thief 
for theft on a larger scale. And when once it has be- 
come a habit, no one can tell what will be the end of it ! 
The drunkard's first dram was his first step towards a 
drunkard's grave. The first theft committed by man 
or boy is his first step towards the jail, the penitentiary, 
and it may be towards the gallows. 

To some boys loose change, known to be accessible, 
becomes an almost irresistible temptation. Country 
boys, too, want to see the "elephant," or are uncom- 
fortably short in change. They are tempted to steal. 
At first a small amount is taken and the theft not dis- 
covered. But small sums, obtained at considerable in- 
tervals, are not sufficient to cover the current expenses 
of fast boys. The bad practice having been commenced 
and continued, without being discovered for any con- 
siderable time, emboldens the criminal. He now steals 
more frequently and takes larger sums, until he becomes 
suspected, is taken to task and found guilty. In the 



46 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

case of clerks or salesmen in stores, if the amount stolen 
be not too great from considerations of past services or 
Christian charity, their employers will cast them over- 
board, without instituting any legal proceedings against 
them. If the thefts committed involve large suras of 
money, the offenders will be arrested, tried and punished 
according to law. In some cases, no doubt, offenders 
design honestly, at some future time, to return what they 
take from the drawers of their employers. Unfortu- 
nately, however, the time to pay back never comes. 
Fast boys and young men never realize the hopes they 
build on the future. Their extravagant living and bad 
management is a constant drain on their purses, so that 
even if they desire to pay back, they lack the money 
with which to do it. Hence, all their good intentions 
to return what they have stolen, are worthless. 

There are many other ways in which persons may 
be dishonest, and in an indirect way commit theft. 
The use of fraudulent weights and measures, is well 
known and only too frequent. The vigilance of gov- 
ernment, by which stringent laws have been passed, to 
prevent fraud, under these forms, has produced good re- 
sults. 

There is another method adopted by unprincipled 
men, through which the unsuspecting purchaser is de- 
ceived and defrauded. An article of goods is inquired 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 47 

for, which the merchant produces for examination. A 
purchase is made and the goods ordered to be sent. 
But, instead of the goods purchased, or the genuine ar- 
ticle, of which a sample had been shown, the customer 
receives something like it in kind or appearance, but in- 
ferior in quality and value. In some cases the fraud is 
not discovered. In others it is, but the case is so com- 
plicated, that on the whole the wrong is endured 
rather than to institute a suit for damages. The man 
who commits the fraud, is guilty of a contemptible deed. 
My young readers, when you get older and begin busi- 
ness, do not allow yourselves to be guilty of such dis- 
honorable conduct. It is not only wrong in itself, but 
taken in its tendencies and results, pays badly. It is 
the worst policy you can adopt. Even if you were suc- 
cessful in securing large gains, it would not result in 
any real advantage to you. Solomon says : " In the 
revenues of the wicked there is trouble." Wealth ob- 
tained by fraud and dishonest dealing, brings with it 
trouble. The dishonest man becomes involved in diffi- 
culties. His crookedness in business transactions will 
be discovered, sooner or later. Parties defrauded, will 
put detectives on his track. He will be arrested and 
brought to grief. They will have him arraigned be- 
fore the bar of justice, and demand the punishment of 
his criminal conduct. In some cases, men guilty of 



48 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

dishonesty and fraud in the worst forms, may escape 
prosecution and punishment, but even in these cases 
nothing is gained. They may make money, but at the 
same time they sacrifice character and an approving 
conscience, which are of infinitely greater value than 
money. They do not only become conscious of their 
guilt, but also apprehensive of being found out and 
brought to justice. Hence they feel insecure, and con- 
stantly are subjected to more or less uneasiness, if not 
to real misery. Conscious of their misconduct, they 
cannot respect themselves as honorable men. Their dis- 
honest gains create a consciousness of meanness. Be- 
sides, money gained by fraud, under any form, is likely 
to consume in some way or other, what is obtained from 
other sources. It is like the miser's withholding from 
the Lord what he should give for the support of the 
Gospel. It does not enrich, but, as Solomon affirms, it 
brings to poverty. 



CHAPTER VI. 



The Self-Made Men. 



In a strict sense self-made men are men, who by 
their own efforts and the use of such means as were at 
their disposal, became, whether good or bad, what they 
are. In the ordinary use of the term, we mean that 
class of men, who, from humble and obscure circum- 
stances in life, without any special aid from others, 
made theirway upward to places of honor, responsibil- 
ity and great usefulness. Of these some have been 
much more successful than others. This depended 
partly on natural abilities, partly on circumstances, but 
principally on the manner in which they applied them- 
selves. The most successful, and at the same time the 
wisest among the self-made men of the past, were delib- 
erate, determined and persevering. They not only 
tried to make their way onward and upward, but also 
turned to good account the advantages they gained by 
their efforts, for their own enjoyment and comfort. 
For it is not the amount of money a man accumulates, 
nor the honors and distinctions he secures for himself, 
that makes life most agreeable and happy, but much 
rather the uses he makes of them after they become his. 
Not a few of the most successful men in the world, with 
all their wealth, great achievements and high honors, 



50 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

worry and wear themselves out, without much enjoy- 
ment, because slaves to avarice, ambition, or selfishness. 
To such, life itself cannot be a very great blessing, be- 
cause they do not use the means necessary to make it 
really pleasant and enjoyable. No nation can boast of 
more distinguished self-made men than the American. 
The new world, from the time of its discovery, has been 
a large and interesting field in which adventurers have 
found ample room to distinguish themselves by great 
discoveries and useful inventions. From the first set- 
tlement of the colonies, the spirit of enterprise began to 
show itself and to increase rapidly, as the population of 
the old world poured into the new. 

In the early settlements made by the Pilgrim Fath- 
ers, there were no well-regulated schools at hand for 
the education of their children. Colleges and Univer- 
sities, such as the old world could boast of, were un- 
known here for many years. Other things, absolutely 
necessary, first required attention. The time of the first 
settlers was needed to defend themselves against the at- 
tacks of the Indians, to clear away the forests and culti- 
vate the soil, to keep themselves from want and starva- 
tion. Hence, not much attention could be given to the 
building of school houses, nor much time devoted to the 
education of the young. These disadvantages, however, 
were overcome, partly by the enterprising earnestness of 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 51 

the times, by private or family education, and partly by 
that talent which enabled the early settlers to adapt 
themselves in a most remarkable manner to emergen- 
cies that arose in those times of hardships and danger. 
The success of the Pilgrim Fathers and the rapid growth 
of the colonies constantly served as a strong motive 
power to strengthen aud increase the spirit of specula- 
tion. In its development this spirit produced a large 
number of enterprising men. These, without the ad- 
vantages of wealth, regularly established schools, and 
any considerable degree of intellectual culture, did the 
best they could, and by their own efforts became distin- 
guished citizens, whose history is interwoven with that 
of the nation, and whose names will be honored by suc- 
ceeding generations. 

In our own times, no less than in the past, the num- 
ber of self-made men is large. In the larger States we 
can count them by scores In the smaller, and in the 
territories of the West, they are represented. They fill 
some of the highest offices of the nation. You find them 
in Washington City, in every State Capital, in our 
county seats, and in places of trust and great responsi- 
bility. They are found in the ordinary departments 
of business and commerce. Their valuable discoveries 
and the inventions based on them form a long chapter 
in the history of patents. 



52 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

These facts are encouraging to the young American. 
What has been done, he concludes can be done again. 
If others, under adverse circumstances, have succeeded 
in their efforts to become useful, he concludes he can do 
the same. He sees no insurmountable difficulties in 
his way to an honorable, useful life. He is fully con- 
vinced that well directed efforts, progress and final suc- 
cess follow each other. He is aware that wild specula- 
tions are not likely to succeed ; that men may apply 
themselves with earnestness and perseverance, and yet 
fail, because their undertakings are not attainable. But 
he sees that this is not the case with well directed ef- 
fort. It has a sure basis from which it proceeds. The 
end aimed at is within reach. Hence he concludes that 
the results of his efforts cannot fail to be favorable. 

It is well, however, not to be too sanguine in your 
hopes and anticipations. Do not, therefore, dispense 
with the helps and means so necessary to qualify for the 
places of responsibility and distinction you would like 
to fill. Not until you possess the proper qualifications, 
should you be willing to accept of them. 

There are, no doubt, many boys and young inen in 
the country, whose highest ambition is to become dis- 
tinguished self-made men. The idea of getting into a 
place of distinction or profit as a self-made man, carries 
in it a charm, an indication of superior abilities. These 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 53 

abilities the ambitious youth, in only too many cases, 
vainly imagines he possesses. Inflated with this erro- 
neous and deceptive idea, he concludes to make his way 
to high honors and great distinctions as short as possi- 
ble. He admits that a liberal education and a thorough 
cultivation of the intellect are desirable for boys and young 
men of no more than ordinary talents. He thinks, how- 
ever, that in his case such an education and culture of the 
intellect are not necessary. He can easily dispense with 
colleges and a regular collegiate course of study. A di- 
ploma, he admits, is a nice thing to hang up in a man's 
study or office, but he knows it cannot add much to his 
scholarship or efficiency in business ! With a self-compla- 
cent smile he turns away from all such vanity ! He will 
not waste time and money in taking a full course in col- 
lege. He can save both by taking a shorter course of prep- 
aration for the work of life before him. As a thorough 
course in bis case is not necessary, he will not worry his 
brain with hard study during a succession of long years 
in any regular college or university. Already, as he 
looks into the future, he is dreaming of high offices, of 
rare honors and large salaries ! He selects his favorite 
branches of study, enters some academy, or college of 
inferior grade, as an irregular student, determined not 
to waste any more time and money than may be neces- 
sary. Hence, he concludes not to study the dead Ian- 



54 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

guages, nor some of the other branches included in a 
regular college course. He pursues an irregular course 
for several years, and then concludes he is ready and 
fully prepared for the great work of life. He makes 
choice of the legal, medical or some other profession. A 
few months of additional study preparatory to entering 
on his professional work, and he has become sufficiently 
self-made to begin to become "distinguished." He is a 
cripple and a dwarf in literature, and soon will be 
laughed at as a quack in his profession. Such is the 
history of boys and young men who become inflated 
with ideas of self-importance, and consequently neglect 
their own intellectual culture. There is no help for 
them. They will fail in any profession they choose. 
The times in which we live are not so favorable for the 
production of self-made men, as some suppose. They 
are still found. But they are not so numerous in the 
present as they were in the past. And it is quite cer- 
tain that as our educational advantages increase, and 
our public school system becomes more perfect, and the 
higher institutions of learning more complete and thor- 
ough, their number will become comparatively still less. 
The disadvantages under which the self-made men of 
the past labored, were not of their own choosing, but 
unavoidable. And had it not been for their extraordi- 
nary earnestness, perseverance and noble purpose, they 
would have failed. 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 55 

Do not imagine, therefore, that the same achieve- 
ments can be accomplished, and the same honors and 
distinctions attained in our times by any one without 
the advantages of a liberal education and the proper 
culture of the intellect. These should be valued and 
turned to the best account, as means looking to the end 
to be accomplished. 

Self-made men, as has been seen, both of the present 
and the past, were earnest, efficient workers in the pla- 
ces they occupied. Yet in all their successes and effi- 
ciency it is easy to see that they labored under great dis- 
advantages. Had these been removed and the advan- 
tages others have had been theirs, they would not only 
have achieved much more than they did, but what they 
accomplished would have been done much better. They 
may be compared to good workmen with bad tools. We 
cannot, then, too strongly insist on faithful, well directed 
effort and a proper use of the means at hand. 



CHAPTER VII. 



Be Economical and Obliging. — Give Dne Attention 
to Cleanliness. — Honor your Parents. 



You should adopt and practise principles of econ- 
omy. Many are tempted to be dishonest and steal, be- 
cause they do not take proper care of, and apply to the 
best uses, the money they earn. They spend a large 
part of their earnings from week to week for things 
they could very well do without. They buy articles 
that soon become entirely worthless to them, much for 
which they have nothing to show. Enticing advertise- 
ments for railroad excursions, pic-nics, &c, attract their 
attention and draw them away from work and business, 
to spend time and money that are needed for other pur- 
poses. An occasional trip, the expenses of which can 
be endured, may be taken. The tendency, however, is 
to overdo the thing. The young who take these trips, 
in many cases, eat and drink to excess. Their money 
is soon gone, and before they have had time to earn any, 
they want more to spend in a similar way. Then comes 
the temptation to steal. The drawer of an employer, 
the change of parents is now looked after. A wilful 
and deliberate theft is now committed. The act is fol- 
lowed with its evil consequences. Far better adopt a 
different course. Put a just estimate on your money, 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 57 

and use it to the best advantage you can. Adopt that 
wise, old, common sense rule, which requires us to live 
according to our means. If one's income is small, the 
outlay must be small also. There is much in the ob- 
servance of this rule. If you will adopt and carry it 
out, it will bring you safely through the most trying 
emergencies of live. It will answer a double purpose. 
First, it will stimulate and encourage honest industry. 
It will put your hands to work, and secure for you a 
competent living. Having earned the money you will 
need for comfort and a useful life, it will enable you to 
put a proper estimate on it. This will prevent you 
from spending it unnecessarily. 

One of the greatest evils to which the young are ex- 
posed, is a fast living." Many of theni have no idea of 
the value of money, nor do they know how honest men 
toil to earn it. * All they concern themselves about is to 
get possession of it. And as soon as they have it, it. 
must go again. Appetite must be gratified ; pleasures 
and amusements sought and indulged in. The extrava- 
gance of the more wealthy, as far as practicable, is 
copied. The young have their attention attracted by 
the example of others, older than themselves, whose 
profligacy they only too readily are willing to imitate. 
Hence, it is not an uncommon thing for minors to be- 
come displeased with parents and guardians, who refuse 
5 



58 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

to furnish them money, dress, or any other means they 
crave, for the gratification of appetite or pleasure. Girls 
and boys, in their teens, in too many instances demand 
a display of dress, and a freedom to come and go at 
will, which the means of their parents do not justify. 
When they do not obtain all they want, and are kept 
away from places where they should not be, they become 
displeased; some of them angry and sullen. Their only 
idea of the mission of life seems to be, to make a dis- 
play of themselves, and spend the heard- earned money 
of their parents, whose burdens they should help to 
bear, by rendering them all the assistance they can. 
Guard against the folly of such, and the wrongs they in- 
flict on their parents. Some of them become profligates. 
Others live in vice and die in disgrace. Wealth, the hard 
earnings of parents given to them, will be valued only 
as means for the gratification of appetite. This accounts 
for the fact that so many of the sons of the wealthy do 
not form habits of industry, but become idle spend- 
thrifts. Idleness brings temptation. Temptation with 
such is generally followed by vice and its train of evils. 
Intemperance, gluttony and crime bring on poverty 
and ruin. In many cases, young men who inherit thou- 
sands, waste their money, sink to a state of poverty, and 
when they die, have not enough left to secure for them 
a respectable burial. 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 59 

Be obliging. Let no opportunity to do another a 
kindness pass unimproved. If you can do any one a 
favor, do it at once. Do not wait to be asked for any 
kind act you can do. Cheerfully offer your services. 
It will be more pleasant to yourself and more fully ap- 
preciated by those whom you favor. Even a great fa- 
vor will lose much of its value, if forced or done with 
reluctance. 

Pay due attention to cleanliness and personal appear- 
ance. Your garments may be old, patched and shabby, 
yet if kept clean, they will be endurable. So, too, you 
may be poor, neglected ; yet, if you keep yourself clean, 
hands and face, you will not necessarily become an ob- 
ject of disgust. Regular bathing, not only of hands 
and face, but of the whole body, through summer and 
winter, will be a great benefit to you. It will promote 
health, prevent suffering and high doctor bills. Becom- 
ing cleanliness is highly appreciated by all. You 
should not forget to pay due attention to your personal 
appearance. You need not appear in fine apparel to do 
this. Poverty may throw its restrictions around you 
and dictate what kind of attire you should wear. Yet 
you should not forget that a tidy appearance is a good 
recommendation. A boy or young man, who has not 
ambition and self-respect enough to keep himself clean 
and tidy, will not be respected, nor desired as an errand 



60 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

boy, or salesman in any business house. No business- 
man will have such an one about him. If any one will 
take him into his employment, it will be on trial, in the 
hope that a favorable change may be brought about. 
Boys, like professional men, if slovenly in appearance, 
will be passed by. 

Love and honor your parents. No matter how poor 
or humble, your parents are entitled to due respect. 
The fifth command says : " Honor thy father and 
thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land 
which the Lord thy God giveth thee." The observ- 
ance of this command is an honor to any one. It is the 
first step to a prosperous and successful life. The 
Apostle Paul declares it to be the first commandment 
with promise. The relations you sustain to your pa- 
rents, as dependents on them, should inspire you with 
feelings of love and gratitude. They have done much 
more for you than you wITl ever be able to do for them. 
You may not see this now. It is nevertheless true. 
The least you should be willing to do in return for 
what they have already done for you, is to love, honor 
and cherish them with the most tender affection. In 
doing this, you do no more than what is your most im- 
perative duty. How plain the duty of children towards 
parents, in their old age. The declining years of man 
bring with them peculiarities of life, of which the young 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOT7XG MEN. 61 

and middle-aged can have but an imperfect conception. 
They know nothing of them from experience, and in 
most cases not very much from observation. It is true, 
the treatment which the aged receive at the hands of 
those who have charge of them, may come under our 
notice to some extent. Yet, it is the more favorable 
side of that treatment only we get to see. The scenes 
enacted behind the curtain are hid from our eyes. 
These, no doubt, in a number of cases are very differ- 
ent from those we see. Hard treatment, scowling looks, 
abusive words and other wrongs, are kept concealed, 
whilst the oppressed are gradually going down, in sor- 
row and with bitter mortification, to the grave. They 
have no one to whom they can go for relief; none to 
sympathize with them ! Tn this state of wretchedness 
and grief, they pine away, and long for the grave. 
Death seems slow in coming to their relief. 

In the most favorable circumstances, old age brings 
with it its infirmities, aches and sufferings. To these 
the young generally pay but little attention. The 
transition from the years of active life into old age, is so 
gradual and imperceptible that even children do not 
fully comprehend its meaning. And for this reason, no 
doubt, many of them clo not treat their parents with the 
kindness and consideration they should. To be neg- 
lected in the family, and unkindly treated by one's own. 



62 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

children in old age, I doubt not, is a great affliction. 
It produces feelings of disappointment, and the bitterest 
mortification with which a father or mother can be tor- 
tured. Against this unnatural, cruel treatment to pa- 
rents in their declining years, I must earnestly entreat 
you to guard. No greater wrong can children commit 
than this. Never allow yourselves to become guilty of 
such black ingratitude to father and mother, who, in 
your helpless infancy and tender childhood, cherished 
you with paternal love, bore you in their arms ; fed, 
clothed and protected you day and night, with a tender- 
ness and love you will never be able to repay. Hence, 
let your conduct towards them be most respectful and 
kind. Show due sympathy for them, and relieve them 
in every way you can, from the infirmities and suffer- 
ings of old age. For such treatment they will feel 
thankful, and bless you with their love and fervent 
prayers in the hour of death. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



Country -Boys. — Important Factors. — Will Figure 
in our Future. — History. — Will be Heard 
From. — Key. G. W. Oalaudet's In- 
quiry. — Illustratiye Examples. 



We speak of the great rivers and oceans, which bear 
on their bosom the commerce of the nations, but seem 
to forget the little drops that swell the rivulets into 
creeks and streams, increasing in volume, until finally 
they impart their greatness and power to these, making 
them what they really are. So we forget the little 
drops of boy-life, which increase in significance, and 
strengthen with the progress of time, constantly unfold- 
ing and developing their dormant powers, until they be- 
come the great and mighty men by whom the nations 
are governed, and the public affairs of mankind are di- 
rected. 

In the solution of the great problems of history, 
boys, and especially country boys, are commonly not 
taken into account. This is an error. They are among 
the leading factors that will enter into the composition 
of our future history. It is true, the important part 
they will play in the great drama of human affairs, 
comes, not in boyhood, but in later years. Yet it 
has its beginning and its rise in that earlv period. We 



64 # THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

should give due prominence to this fact. In view of 
this, they should take courage, and put forth their best 
efforts to make their mark in the world. To the boys 
in the country, we say, be not discouraged, but do the 
best you can. You will be heard from, by and by. 
Your future will not be a meaningless blank. The sons 
of wealthy families in our larger towns and cities, may 
outshine you in. outward appearance, and laugh at your 
ignorance and awkwardness. In their mirthful glee, 
they may call you rustics, country " clod hoppers," and 
other names. They may hold you in derision, and con- 
sider themselves far in advance of you. Yet, under 
the course apparel you wear, art hid native talents and 
energies, which, when properly developed, will outshine 
and leave in the rear those who now underrate and rid- 
icule you. Your humble life, and the disadvantages 
under which you now labor, are not insurmountable 
difficulties in the way to true greatness. 

They may all be overcome, and in the end answer 
important purposes in your favor. 

The rural districts have always furnished their full 
share of great and useful men, in the past history of the 
world. Although born and brought up in some obscure 
retreat, and but little known away from home, when 
their services were needed, they came to the front, 
ready to face danger, to endure hardships, and accom- 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 65 

plish deeds of valor and greatness, which others with 
greater advantages m had failed to accomplish. In the 
history of no nation is this more true than in that of 
our own. In our legislative halls no less than on the 
battle field, the rural districts have been well repre- 
sented. Some of our ablest Presidents and most pro- 
found Statesmen were born in the country or in some 
small village. They adorned the high offices they filled 
with honor and great efficiency. The same quarter has 
furnished the literary firmament with some of the 
brightest stars that adorn it. These men of fame, in 
early life, were known only as ignorant country boys. 

Rev. W. Galaudet, of Springfield, Massachusetts, 
desiring to know how the leading men of his city had 
spent the days of their boyhood, addressed a circular of 
inquiry to each of one hundred citizens, " who could 
fairly be said to stand at the head of the financial, pro- 
fessional and educational interests of the city." The 
following questions were contained in the circular : 
"Will you be kind enough to tell me whether your 
home during the first fifteen years of your life was on a 
farm, in a village or in a city ; and secondly, whether 
you were accustomed, during any part of that period, to 
engage in any kind of work, when you were not at 
school ?" Eighty-eight of the busy gentlemen addressed 
in the circular responded. Twelve of them had spent 



66 THE EOAD TO SUCCESS. 

their first fifteen years in cities; twelve in villages, and 
sixty-four were farmers' boys. But of the twenty-four 
who had lived in villages and cities, six were practically 
farmers' boys ; for they had lived in small villages, or 
on the outskirts of cities, and had the same kind of 
work to do that farmers' boys have. One of the gentle- 
men, who had spent his boyhood in the village, said, "I 
learned to hoe, dig and mow, in fact I was obliged to 
work, whether I liked it or not. In winter I went to 
school, and I worked night and morning for my board." 

Another said, " I used to work away from home, 
some on a farm, in the summer and fall. In the 
winter when going to school, we boys used to work up 
the wood for winter use." Four others told substan- 
tially the same story. " As these were about the same 
as farmers' boys, we may add them to that list, so that 
seventy out of eighty-eight, almost four-fifth of all these 
men, had the training of farm life." 

Why did the other twelve of the one hundred men 
addressed not answer? Some may have thought the 
inquiry not worth their attention. Others may have 
been too busy to find time to answer. Possibly other 
considerations dictated silence. Perhaps the early life 
of these twelve, or at least of some of them, was so 
humble and obscure that they were unwilling the pub- 
lic should know the facts in their case. Perhaps they 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 67 

thought it would injure their standing in society, or 
would in some other way be against them. Perhaps, 
like those who are ashamed of their mother, or blush to 
be met in the company of an aged, old-fashioned father, 
these men were ashamed to have the public know 
where and how they had spent their boyhood. Just such 
men and women, too, we have not a few in different 
grades of society. They would gladly cover over their 
early history, and the ignorance and obscurity in which 
they spent the early years of their life. This false deli- 
cacy is^no honor to any one. Reader, do not let any 
such feeling get the ascendency in you. Be not ashamed 
of your parents, the home of your boyhood and the ob- 
scurity of your early life. 

General Mitchell says : " When I was a boy of 
twelve years, I was working for twenty-five cents a 
week with an old lady, and I had my hands full, but I 
did my work faithfully. I used to cut wood, fetch 
water, make fires, scrub and scour for the old lady, be- 
fore the real work commenced. My clothes were bad, 
and I had no means of buying shoes, so was often bare- 
footed. One morning I got through my work early, 
and the old lady, who thought I had not done it, or was 
especially ill-humored then, was displeased, scolded me 
and said I had not worked. I said I had ; she called 
me a liar." This was too much for him. He made 



68 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

his bundle and started away in search of another situa- 
tion. He had not a cent of money in his possession. 
He soon met a man on the road driving a team. He 
offered his services to the owner of the team. The an- 
swer was that his services were not needed. He per- 
sisted in affirming that he could manage the team. At 
length he prevailed on the stranger to give him the 
lines. He was successful in his effort. This, said the 
general, was the " starting point" in his history. De- 
termined to do the best he could, and take advantage of 
every opportunity that came in his way, he went for- 
ward, until he reached the high position of influence 
and usefulness he occupied in later years. 

A gentleman in an adjoining county, supposed to be 
worth over three hundred thousand dollars, once was a 
poor country boy. Industrious,' he took to work and 
turned his energies and physical strength to good ac- 
count. At length he got to breaking stone on the pike. 
Presently he entered on a little business transaction, 
which took him to Baltimore city. The success of this 
one little effort was the key which threw open to him a 
wide door for business and speculation. From this 
time onward he made money, speculated and grew 
wealthy. 

A farmer's son, whom I well knew in his boyhood, 
sought and improved the opportunities he had to make 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 69 

money. What he earned he took good care of. After 
he became of. age, ho commenced as a day laborer. He 
worked hard. He left no opportunity to get work pass. 
When he could not secure the highest wages, he took 
what he could get. By adopting this method, he found 
an abundance to do. He was not a spendthrift, but care- 
fully invested the money he earned. His capital in- 
creased. Gradually he became wealthy. Long since 
he has been counted among capitalists. 

A little Swiss boy, when four years old, was left an 
orphan by the death of his father. He and his sister 
were put under the care of an aged grandmother, who 
lived in a village on the Rhine. " So poor were they 
that often they did not have dry bread enough to eat, 
and were obliged to lie down on their straw pallets 
and try to sleep to forget how hungry they were." 
One day the boy's distressed grandmother said to him, 
"if you cannot earn something, we must all starve." 
The poor boy did not know what to do. Presently he 
induced his sister to go with him to the country, to 
gather sticks that lay around going to waste, bound 
them in bundles, brought them to town and sold them 
for what they could get. This was hard work for the 
children, and paid very poorly. But it was the best 
they could do at the time. One day coming with their 
burdens on their backs, discouraged and tired, the boy 



70 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

said, as he passed the shop of a wood-carver, if only 
he had a knife, he thought he could do work at carving 
too. The owner of the shop heard the boy express his 
wish for a knife, pitied and called him back, and said 
if he would come to his office two hours a day, he would 
give him a knife and teach him to carve. Gladly did 
the boy accept of this offer. With cheerful heart he 
came to the shop to commence work. Contrary to his 
expectation, however, he soon found that what he had 
undertaken, was not quite so easily accomplished as he 
had imagined. He was awkward in the use of the 
knife, and cut up his fingers in rather a distressing man- 
ner. But he soon got over this trouble, and became a 
successful carver. His own work, fit for market, soon 
became a source of income to him. He continued to 
improve until he became an expert at his trade. He 
was now able to earn more than enough to support him- 
self, his sister and his aged grandmother. 

Numberless examples like this might be produced 
to illustrate and show what great things can be accom- 
plished by energetic, persevering effort. Country boys, 
in many instances, think they are too uneducated and 
awkward to undertake anything of importance. But 
this is a mistaken idea. They should not shrink from 
undertaking anything they can accomplish. The in- 
quiry of Rev. G. W. Galaudet, as above given, proves 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 71 

beyond a doubt that they will be likely to succeed. 
What reasons can we give for this ? 

How can we account for the remarkable success that 
usually attends the efforts of country boys? " Why are 
country boys apt to be more successful than those from 
our cities and towns? They are better raised, have 
sound bodies, are willing to persevere, and to wait, &c." 

They are brought up to habits of industry. Their 
first years are not spent in idleness, shut up in close, 
warm rooms, from which the pure air of heaven is ex- 
cluded. They are not wrapped in flannels and over- 
much clothing from the days of infancy. But, before 
able to do anything of real service, they get out of doors, 
exercise their little bodies, and become invigorated by 
the fresh air they inhale. They see everybody around 
them busy, and soon become inspired with the idea of 
putting their own hands to work. Their help at first 
may be a real hinderance to their parents. But the idea 
is encouraged, and as soon as able, they will be required 
to render such assistance to their parents and others, as 
they may be able to give. 

In connection with the habits of industry to which 
they are thus trained, they are required to become early 
risers. This is another advantage. It enables them to 
start out early, and gives them the whole day for the 
performance of their day's work. When that is done, 



72 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

you will not find them on the streets or at other places 
where they become exposed to bad influences. But tired 
of the toils and exertions of the day, they retire to rest, 
and sweetly sleep the hours of night away. In the 
morning they rise fresh and strong, ready to go to duty. 
Their work is out in the open air, under the genial rays 
of the sun. The pure atmosphere they inhale, the fresh 
water they drink and the exercise they get in attending 
to their daily work, gives them a keen appetite, keeps 
up a vigorous digestion, and is productive of good 
health. ' . 

Another favorable feature in country life, is the use 
of proper food. Boys in the country are not injured by 
the habitual use of sweet meats, strong nuts, candies 
covered with poisonous colors, and other articles injuri- 
ous to health, but are supplied with good bread and 
milk, and other nutritious articles. Among these may be 
named the many delicious fruits, which grow so abund- 
antly all over the country. 

Another feature of life in the rural districts that de- 
serves notice, is the fact that country children are not 
required to submit to any severe application to books 
and study whilst too young, as is frequently the case in 
the families and schools of our larger towns and cities. 
Even if sent to school when young, their application is 
not severe, but very moderate. They are permitted to 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 73 

amuse themselves with whatever may attract their at- 
tention And what is of still more importance to them, 
is the abundance of out-door exercise they get, in going 
to and returning from school. In addition to this, they 
get much healthful exercise, morning and evening, 
through the childish plays and amusements which they 
indulge in the open air. 

Boys in the country generally do not advance so 
rapidly in their studies, during their first years, as those 
in town or city. They give more of their time and at- 
tention to other objects with which they come in con- 
tact. This is none the worse for them. The time they 
give to other objects, and the exercise they get by at- 
tending to them, promotes bodily health and mental 
vigor. Presently they become more interested in their 
studies and apply themselves more earnestly. As they 
advance in letters, their attention becomes attracted by 
the different departments of labor, business and the 
learned professions. Their ideas of things become en- 
larged. They begin to inquire, what had I better do ? 
After some sober reflection, the one chooses this and the 
other that calling or profession. As the way opens to 
the one here and to the other there, they step into their 
places and with a firm grasp go to work, and do what 
their " hand findeth to do" with their might. The suc- 
cess of their efforts inspires them with new zeal. Knowl- 
6 



74 THE EOAD TO SUCCESS. 

edge becomes a great power with them. This power 
they apply, and the results have often been wonderful ! 
"It was this" (knowledge), says a distinguished writer, 
"that raised Franklin from the humble station of a 
printer's boy to the first honors of his country ; that 
took Sherman from his shoemaker's bench, gave him a 
seat in Congress and made him a member of President 
Hayes' cabinet." "It raised Simson from the weaver's 
loom to a place among the first mathematicians, and 
Herschel, from being a poor fifer's boy in the army, to 
a station among the first of astronomers." It was 
knowledge and self-culture that gave Demosthenes the 
first place among the orators of Athens ; that distin- 
guished Plato and Socrates among the philosophers of 
their times. Fulton was little known until he discov- 
ered the use of steam in its application to machinery 
Henry Clay, the distinguished orator and statesman, 
once known as " the mill boy of the slashes," acquired 
his greatness and influence principally through the 
knowledge he had accumulated by close study, in the 
face of great disadvantages. Professor Morse, the in- 
ventor of the telegraph, devoted years of hard study 
and experiment to the work he had undertaken. He 
was ridiculed and spoken of as partially insane. Even 
after he had so far succeeded as to be able to transmit 
news across the wire, and had arranged the same at 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 75 

Washington to convince Congress that his invention was 
not a fraud, Governor Wallace, who went to see and 
have it tested for his own satisfaction, and in order that 
he might vote intelligently for or against the appro- 
priation of the $30,000 asked of Congress, called him 
"a madman/' Mr. Wallace, however, became con- 
vinced that there was something in it, and by giving 
his vote in the committee in favor of granting the sum 
asked, had it brought before Congress, where it was car- 
ried. Professor Morse continued to apply himself to 
the work he had undertaken, until it became a complete 
success. The telegraph may justly be regarded as the 
greatest wonder of modern times. 

Mr. Howe, the inventor of the first sewing machine, 
was raised a mechanic in obscure circumstances. He 
was twenty years old when he first conceived the idea of 
making a machine to sew with. After he became satis- 
fied that the thing could be done, he shut himself up in 
a garret in Cambridge, and "after devoting about six 
months of incessant labor and reflection on the work he 
had undertaken, the first machine that ever sewed a 
seam was produced." 

General Jackson, all along through his successful 
career, gave ample proofs that he was not born in a 
palace, nor reared by royal nurses, but under circum- 
stances which subjected him to the disadvantages and 



76 THE EOAD TO SUCCESS. 

trials common among the lower and poorer classes. He 
commenced life in "a log hut, in extreme, poverty." 
By the death of his father, his mother was left to sup- 
port herself and three children by the labor of her own 
hands. In early life he was unknown, except in his 
immediate community. But he possessed a natural 
vigor and energy, which enabled him to make his way 
to the highest office of the nation. 

John Adams was a farmer's son who supported his 
family by hard work. James K. Polk spent the days 
of his childhood " on a farm, in the wilderness of North 
Carolina." Millard Fillmore was born in a farm house. 
To the age of fourteen he had a farmer boy's education. 
At this age he was put to a clothier, but disliking the 
business, at the age of nineteen he began the study of 
law, and at twenty-three was admitted to the "bar. 
" James Buchanan was born in a small town in the Al- 
leghany mountains." Abraham Lincoln's parents were 
exceedingly poor. He was brought up in a log cabin, 
where he lived until he was "over twenty-one." "His 
attendance at school was limited to a few months." 
General Grant was without many of the comforts of 
civilized life in his early years. At the age of seven- 
teen he went to West Point. General Garfield was also 
" born in a log hut." " When he was one and a half 
years old, his father died." The family was poor. 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AXD YOUNG MEX. 77 

When he had hardly entered his teens, he was doing a 
man's work in the harvest field. He learned the car- 
penter's trade. He worked' on the Ohio canal. He 
was determined, however, to have an education ; and 
leaving his plane and scythe, he worked his way 
through the preparatory school, and, with some help 
from friends, was able to graduate at Williams College."* 

A certain poor boy was once taken from the farm 
and put into a country store at the age of thirteen. At 
that time all storekeepers sold rum. In this store the 
article was not only kept for sale, but also freely used. 
At first the young salesman drank with the rest in the 
store. He soon found that the use of rum was creating 
an appetite for the article. He saw his danger and de- 
termined not to drink again. Although he was required 
to prepare the grog for his employer, customers and 
others in the store, he was true to his wise and heroic 
resolution. 

Instead of letting his spare hours and the unem- 
ployed time of his evenings pass away in idleness, he 
wisely improved them by reading useful books. By 
adopting this method, he became the better qualified for 
business. Thus he spent seven years in the country 
store which he entered at thirteen. Although his wages 
were small, by good economy he managed to save 

*Ref. Messenger. 



78 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

money enough to help others in needy circumstances. 
He carefully kept the Sabbath. On the Lord's day, all 
other books were laid away in order to make room for 
the reading of the Bible. He also attended church. 
He tried to do with as little as possible for himself, so 
that he could give the more to " benevolent and chari- 
table" purposes. After he went into business for him- 
self and had become wealthy enough, he fitted up a 
room in which he kept " provisions and clothing" for 
the poor. When at the age of twenty, he began busi- 
ness in Boston, his capital amounted only to several 
hundred dollars. But he was attentive to his business. 
He was prompt in attending to small matters as well as 
to those of greater importance. He did not put off for 
to-morrow what should have been done to-day. His 
promptness and well-directed efforts were successful. 
" He prospered wonderfully," and gradually became 
" one of the richest merchants in Boston." His success 
was accompanied with a most generous liberality. The 
more he made, the more he gave to help others. He 
did not wait until the poor, half starved and perishing 
asked for help, but he sent them the aid they needed. 
He has justly been described as " a good Samaritan," 
"a plainly dressed, kind-hearted, clear-headed man." 
"Everybody knew him. Everybody loved him." "At 
his funeral hundreds wept and felt that they had lost a 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 79 

father." During his life t*me he gave away three quar- 
ters of a million of dollars to relieve the poor and the 
needy. 

The history of Amos Lawrence, this good and suc- 
cessful merchant, furnishes us with a striking example 
of what may be done by faithful, persevering effort. 
Many a boy in his circumstances in the start, would 
have been heartless and hopeless, or would have first be- 
come a tipler, gradually a drunkard, and finally an out- 
cast of society. 

Col. T. A. Scott, a late President of the Penna. Rail- 
road Company, was one of the most remarkable men of 
his day. By sheer force of will, and through the exercise 
of his own powers, he raised himself from the humble 
position of a village boy "to the head of one of the 
greatest corporations in the world." Loudon, the home 
of this great and distinguished railroad prince, is a 
small town near the mountains in Franklin county, 
Pennsylvania. At the time of his birth it must have 
been but a very small village. From it he emerged 
when a young man, and by industry, perseverance and 
indefatigable efforts, made his way through various po- 
sitions of trust and responsibility, until he reached and 
occupied the high office of president of his company. 
His was a life of industry which developed the qualities 
and great abilities he possessed. His great success in 



80 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

superintending railroad work, and his skill in managing 
the business affairs of the companies in whose employ- 
ment he labored, secured for him their unlimited confi- 
dence. 

He possessed "peculiar qualities of mind which 
made him a leader among men. The burden of busi- 
ness was never too heavy for him to carry ." His suc- 
cess in great railroad enterprises "shows how industry, 
integrity and persistent devotion to duty" bring " their 
sure reward." "But the basis of his brilliant career 
was his sterling worth. Such a foundation is the only 
sure one. For more than twenty years Col. Scott occu- 
pied the most prominent place among the gieatest busi- 
ness men of the age." His estate, it is said, amounted 
to over $10,000,000. Let my young readers carefully 
study the lesson furnished by the success of this great 
and enterprising man. Mark that one expression in the 
preceding quotations. " The basis of his brilliant career 
was his sterling worth." That was the key note to his 
success and greatness. Had Col. Scott been of an in- 
dolent disposition, he would have lived and died in ob- 
scurity. 

Any one acquainted with the history of our country 
and the great men it has produced, knows that a large 
number of them, among whom we count Presidents, 
Governors, Judges and Statesmen of highest distinction, 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 81 

rose not by birth nor wealth, nor hereditary preferment, 
but through their own exertions. It was accomplished 
by close application to study, the right use of their time 
and persevering efforts to improve and make the best 
out of everything that came in their way. They were 
not satisfied with present attainments, but constantly, as 
opportunities came, pushed themselves forward and 
earnestly tried to improve on the past at every step. 
On no other ground can we account for the great success 
with which they met, and the high honors they 
achieved. Their example is worthy of imitation, and 
you should keep them constantly before you. They de- 
serve your close attention, because they fully show what 
may be accomplished by faithful, persevering effort. 
Their devoted labor and great success should stimulate 
you to renewed zeal and increased efforts. They should 
act as a strong incentive to awaken and develop the 
dormant powers of every earnest, thoughtful youth, who 
hopes for a glorious future. 



CHAPTER IX. 



To the Country. — Nature.— Its Lessons. 



A short trip to the rural districts may not be out of 
place. A lesson from the book of nature will do us 
good. Here we inhale the pure atmosphere of heaven, 
surrounded with earth's varied scenery. Here nature 
speaks. Her eloquence commands the attention of every 
lover of the beautiful and the grand. Her language is 
easily understood. The fragrant flowers in their beau- 
tiful attire speak through the air we inhale, made doub- 
ly invigorating and pleasant by the sweet odors they 
impart to it. The waving crops of the fields from 
which our daily bread is harvested from year to year, 
remind us of a kind Providence by which our Heavenly 
Father feeds us. The warbling songsters in the tree 
tops, singing so joyfully, show how happy the living 
creature that trusts in God can be. They have no cares 
nor anxieties for to-morrow as to what they shall eat 
and drink. They sow not, neither do they reap and lay 
up for the future, yet they are abundantly fed. From 
them we should learn to be submissive and patient, 
whether in prosperity or adversity. The murmuring 
brooks as they pass at our feet, over pebble and rock, 
making their way to river and ocean, teach us how we 
should submit to the laws of nature's God in all the 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 83 

windings and tarns of life, assured that all things must 
work together for our good. The finny tribes, so wake- 
ful and quick in their movements against the current, 
remind us of the necessity of making constant efforts to 
keep ourselves from being borne down stream by the 
moving elements of evil around us. Your motto should 
be, "heads up stream," and you should lend every en- 
ergy to the work, though it be against wind and tide. 
The tiny blade just coming through the soil, containing 
in it, in possibility, the ripened corn, the lofty oak of 
the future, contained in the bursting acorn, reaching out 
its little roots to drink in the richness of the soil, teach 
us not to despise " the day of small things." 

Limitless space, with its innumerable occupants, 
bright and luminous, impresses us with the greatness, 
power and glory of Him who made them in a most 
wonderful manner. The works of nature around us 
are full of instruction. One of the most important of 
nature's lessons is that of development or growth. The 
vegetable kingdom in its productions is not stationary. 
Everything has its small beginning. From this it de- 
velops and unfolds itself. The germ in the seed does 
not remain what it was at first. Under the necessary 
conditions of soil, rain and sunshine it enlarges into 
blade and stalk, and finally into the full, ripe grain. 
The tiny leaves that first appear above ground, gradu- 



84 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

ally wither and die, whilst others more necessary suc- 
ceed them. In size, form and color the plant is con- 
stantly undergoing changes, until it reaches perfection. 

The process of development in human life resembles 
that in the lower world of nature. At first we are weak 
and inexperienced. But we do not always remain in 
this state of helpless infancy and childhood. We grow. 
Our physical powers develop. The intellect becomes 
stronger. Our physical and intellectual powers gradu- 
ally become available for real service and useful em- 
ployment. The proper exercise of our faculties strength- 
ens and improves them. Hence, the more we exert our- 
selves, the greater progress we make. In our improve- 
ments and advances the things that belong to past con- 
ditions of life, are left behind. Paul says, "when I 
was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, 
I thought as a child, but when I became a man, I put 
away childish things." 

As our knowledge increases and our experience en- 
larges, greater achievements are expected from and ac- 
complished by us. This is the true idea of progress. 
Never be satisfied with present attainments. Your 
motto should be, "onward." Just as you see every- 
thing in nature make headway after its own mode of 
action or law of development, so should you press for- 
ward with ever increasing earnestness and perseverance 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 85 

to accomplish the grand ends of your life. Let not the 
difficulties you may encounter on the way, discourage 
you. The more of these you will meet and overcome, 
the better will you be prepared to meet others still 
greater. Progress after this order will increase your 
ability and inspire you with that confidence which 
knows no defeat. 

The distinguished men of whom we hear and read 
so much, were active and determined to succeed. They 
were never satisfied with what they had accomplished in 
the past. Every obstacle they surmounted became a 
stepping stone to the next achievement. Howe was 
not satisfied with the first step in his discoveries toward 
a complete sewing machine. He persevered until his 
ideal machine was perfected and put in successful opera- 
tion. 

Professor Morse did not become disheartened when 
he was denounced as a crank and visionary. He held 
fast to the idea that so fully possessed him. He could 
not be persuaded to abandon his undertaking. He went 
forward in his efforts, until the electric wires he handled 
became more efficient than the pen of the most ready 
writer. His tenacity of purpose and unflinching perse- 
verance put him in full possession of his ingenious and 
wonderful invention. Edison, who has astonished the 
world with his electric lights, began his career as a 



86 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

newsboy on a western railroad. After some select read- 
ing, he turned his attention to the study of chemistry. 
He next opened for himself a laboratory in one of the 
cars. An unfortunate combustion one day ended his 
experiments here. Not willing to be idle, he bought 
second-hand type and commenced to print a little pa- 
per. Next he became a telegraph operator. Now he 
began to study the electric fluid. Interesting discover- 
ies were made, and his first invention soon followed. 
Since then his discoveries and useful inventions have 
astonished the world. What difficulties he has over- 
come ! What wonderful victories he has won ! It is 
true, we can have but one Howe, one Morse and but 
one Edison. It is also true that not every boy oryouug 
man who reads these lines will reach and occupy a po- 
sition of honor or distinction. Yet equally true is it 
that any one, no matter how poor and unfavorable his 
surroundings may be, by the adoption and practise of 
the Bible principles we advocate, may secure to himself 
a good reputation and a fair degree of success in life. 



CHAPTER X. 



Set your Mark High. — Make your best Efforts to 

Reach it. — Despise not the Day of Small 

Things. — " Sentenced to Death." 



Aim high. Be fixed in purpose to accomplish some- 
thing worthy of your highest ambition. Do not in your 
early years set it down as a matter decided that you do 
not possess the natural gift and necessary talent to qual- 
ify you for the accomplishment of anything great or 
good. Unfortunately this error has been a stumbling 
block to many. It is the millstone around many a 
neck, dragging its victim into the depth below ! When 
once that idea gets possession of a young man, he be- 
comes spiritless, and is most likely to fail in anything 
he undertakes. It writes defeat on everything his hand 
touches ! Many never rise to positions of honor and re- 
nown, because they conclude beforehand that they are 
not capable of doing anything of much significance. 
Having come to this conclusion, they make no effort to 
improve nor attempt to get out of the old ruts in which 
they have been dragging along. They live and die ; 
enter and leave the world without accomplishing any- 
thing. 

Guard against this great mistake. Let nothing dis- 
courage and dishearten you. But resolve to do your best. 



88 THE KOAD TO SUCCESS. 

Be determined that you will make your mark in 
the world, by the accomplishment of good under some 
form or other. Opportunities to carry into effect this 
purpose will not be wanting. They turn up from time 
to time all along the path of life. When these come, 
you must be ready to meet and turn them to good ac- 
count. You may not always accomplish what you de- 
sire to do. This should not discourage you. If you 
fail to come up to the mark aimed at, get as near it as 
you can. By strong, persevering effort you will be able 
to accomplish more than you imagine. Some of the 
most eminent men of the past, on reviewing their lives, 
have been astonished at their own success. They had 
no idea in the beginning they would ever reach the 
heights to which they attained. They had done more 
than they had expected ever to accomplish. And had 
they set their mark higher, some of them would have 
accomplished still more. 

Be not too sanguine in your hopes and expections. 
In youi^ efforts do not count on making a fortune at a 
single stroke, in a day, a month or in a year. Fortunes 
are not quite so easily made. They are most commonly 
hammered out on the anvil of industry. They come by 
toil, patience and perseverance. Hence the beginner 
should be satisfied with such a beginning as he may be 
able to make. You should not despise the day of small 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 89 

things. Be not ashamed to make a small start. When 
you have once begun, try to advance and enlarge your 
business. Try to move forward and make things 
around you look business-like. Here take a lesson 
from nature. Its productions are from small begin- 
nings. But they do not remain small ; they grow and 
develop. The sturdy oak once was contained within 
the narrow limits of an acorn. The germ of a grain of 
wheat, a mere point in the seed, unfolds itself into the 
blade, the stalk, the flower, and completes itself in the 
full ripe grain. A similar progress should be seen in 
the ordinary departments of business and industry. It is 
true that some who have the capital to do it with begin 
on a large scale. If successful, they will make more in 
less time than others of more limited means. It is 
equally true, however, that most of the successful busi- 
ness men of the present day began with limited means 
and small investments. They had not the funds neces- 
sary to open extensive establishments, and rather than 
run the risks of heavy loans, they commenced business 
with the capital they had at their disposal. By due at- 
tention to their customers and a wise management of 
their business, they increased their capital, and with 
this extended their trade until they became masters of 
the most extensive establishments in our large towns 
and cities. In illustration and proof of the above we 
7 



90 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

need only give a few examples. A worthy friend once 
remarked : " When I was married I had not five dol- 
lars to my name. My wife was poor as I was. She 
had nothing. We found we must have something to 
live on. But where was it to come from ?" This was 
the question. A question of practical import. What 
was to be done? Money was needed. Without it they 
would soon be brought to want. Necessity cried out 
work, get work, and " money will come." Their pros- 
pects surely were not very encouraging. Necessity be- 
came more clamorous. It was ready to howl "Wolf!" 
" Can I get no work from you ?" inquired the dejected 
husband of a neighbor. At a little distance lay some 
wood. Pointing to it, the- latter offered twenty-five 
cents per cord if the applicant would work it up. Prob- 
ably he supposed that the offer would be rejected, as 
twenty-five cents was not more than half pay for the 
work required. But not so. The poor young couple 
must have something to eat. " Twenty-five cents," 
thought the husband, "is better than nothing." The 
offer was accepted. The work was performed in a 
hurry. It was now seen that man was not " too lazy to 
work" for a living. Work with better pay soon fol- 
lowed. Thus by improving the opportunity to work at 
half wages, he gained the sympathy and confidence of 
those around him and secured employment for the fu- 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 91 

ture. Having no help from others, he was thrown en- 
tirely on his own resources. His best efforts did not 
bring in much money for a considerable time. Hence 
he was obliged to adopt the closest economy, in order to 
cover current expenses. However, persevering industry 
at length secured its reward. As soon as able he pur- 
chased a home, and soon after started a shop in which 
he did a small business for some years. After this his 
business increased. He enlarged his shop, went into 
business on a much larger scale, and now a little over 
the meridian of life, he does business to the amount of 
many thousands of dollars a year. 

A school boy, not satisfied to idle away his summer 
vacation, asked for permission to render his neighbor 
little services merely for recreation. The request was 
granted. The volunteer services the boy offered to do 
were good exercise for him. The manners in which he 
conducted himself, won the confidence and good will of 
his neighbor, who occasionally needed a boy. The boy 
was prompt and reliable. Presently an errand boy was 
needed in the largest business house in town. The boy 
applied well recommended. He was taken on proba- 
tion. An agreement was entered into for his services 
with the promise of increased salary from year to year. 
Being prompt in attending to his duty, he gained the 
confidence of his employers and is now on the sure road 



92 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

of prosperity. Had he been untrue to his employers, 
indifferent and slothful, he would soon have been out of 
employment, in bad repute and out of money. Other 
examples will illustrate more fully what I wish to im- 
press upon you. Employment being desired for his son, 
application was made by the father to the proprietor of 
a wholesale and retail house for a situation. The an- 
swer was indefinite and rather discouraging. For the 
time being no further efforts were made to get employ- 
ment for the son. Meanwhile the merchant paid close 
attention to the conduct of the youth. Having had suf- 
ficient time to become acquainted with him, and being 
favorably impressed by the boy's conduct, the merchant 
took him into his store on trial. He was prompt and 
reliable in attending to his work. His winning man- 
ners and readiness to attend to customers, attracted the 
attention of all who came into the store. His employer, 
highly pleased with the promptness with which he dis- 
patched work, and the high estimation in which he was 
held by others from the start, offered him a good salary 
and retained him in his store. Before he had been in 
this house a year, the heads of other business estab- 
lishments having noticed his promptness in attending to 
duty, sought his services. His reputation having become 
established by a commendable course of conduct, he was 
favored with the good will of those around him. His 



A BOOK FOR BOYS A^D YOUNG MEN. 93 

successes since have been phenomenal. It is well 
known that experienced business men will not employ 
boys or young men known to be inactive. They want 
sprightly boys, active and obliging young men for clerks 
and salesmen. It is to their interest to employ such, 
although it be at high wages. Above all, the strictest 
honesty is required. The moment an employee becomes 
suspected, that moment his discharge becomes probable. 
In some cases a young man is dismissed by his em- 
ployer, merely on the ground of suspicion. In other 
cases attempts to detect the guilt of a suspected sales- 
man will follow. These generally succeed. In some 
business houses it *is customary to test the honesty of 
employees from the start, whether suspected or not. A 
dime, a quarter or something else is put in the way of 
the person to be tested, at some place not likely to 
awaken suspicion, and under such circumstances as to 
excite the hope, or impress with feelings of certainty 
that the money could be taken without any danger of 
discovery. If the effort to detect succeeds, he may be 
roughly handled. Or, not a word may be uttered in 
his hearing about it. In this case he will be politely- 
informed that his services are no longer desired. 

Business men generally will not employ men and 
boys unless they know them personally, or have good 
reasons to conclude that they are well qualified for the 



94 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

places to be filled by them. If such personal knowledge 
be wanting, unless they come very highly recommended, 
applicants meet with no encouragment. Boys are well 
known in the community in which they have been 
raised. This accounts for the fact that industrious, ac- 
tive boys generally have no trouble to get useful em- 
ployment with good pay ; whilst idle, worthless ones 
cannot get places on any terms. These fail to get em- 
ployment, not because they lack the abilities to do good 
service, but because they have not been trained to habits 
of industry. They are so careless and so tardy and un- 
certain in attending to their work that they cannot be 
depended upon with safety. 

Others there are who are still more worthless. 
These will not work any length of time, no matter how 
pressing their circumstances, unless extraordinary induce- 
ments are at hand. No business establishment will re- 
tain them long. Eather than perform a full day's work 
for ordinary wages, they will eat the bread earned by a 
widowed mother at the wash tub. They would rather 
go in rags, beg, or steal their way than work for an 
honest living. Any boy who adopts this course, bids 
fair to end his life in the almshouse, the jail, the peni- 
tentiary, or on the gallows ! Young reader, avoid these 
errors. Adopt a different policy. Improve your time. 
Be industrious. Seek employment. If you cannot do 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 95 

better, work for low wages. Do like General Mitchell 
did, work for twenty-five cents a week. A quarter of a 
loaf is better than nothing. When you work, no matter 
whether your wages are high or low, do your work well. 
You may be imposed upon by cruel taskmasters who 
require much labor and pay low wages. Yet in the 
end you will find that the wrongs to which you may 
thus be subjected, will be to your advantage. The 
hands of the oppressor laid on a poor, dependent labor- 
er, will excite the sympathies and the favor of all right- 
minded and just persons. It will give him a good rep- 
utation for industry and honesty. This in itself is a 
matter of the greatest importance. It will make friends, 
secure employment, and in the day of adversity will 
bring relief. 

The proprietors of a large business establishment in 
one of^our county seats secured the services of a desti- 
tute boy. They put him into the stable, to attend to 
their horses. By a faithful discharge of duty he gained 
the confidence of his employers. His good behavior in- 
dicated that he deserved a better place than the one he 
filled. His employers saw this, and with a noble gen- 
erosity took him from the stable and put him into their 
store. He was a trustworthy errand boy, and soon be- 
came an active salesman. He was advanced from time 
to time, until he was made foreman of their great busi- 



96 THE KOAD TO SUCCESS. 

ness house. For years he has filial this place, receiving 
a large salary. What do you think, reader, avould have 
been the result, had he been untrue to his employers ? 
Suppose he had neglected the horses, and, whilst in a 
fit of anger, beaten them cruelly, would they have taken 
him into the store ? Or, after he had been taken into the 
store, had he become careless and dishonest, would they 
have retained him in it ? The answer to these ques- 
tions is obvious. 

- I knew a man in Ohio, who, in his boyhood, gath- 
ered some old iron, which he sold for a few pennies. 
This was the first money he owned. It was the capital 
with which he started out to make his way in the world. 
He possessed good common sense, and was naturally 
shrewd. His efforts to make money were remarkably 
successful. His small capital was gradually increased, 
until he became one of the wealthiest men in the county 
in which he resided. 

Mayer Anselm, father to the Rothschilds, furnishes 
another most striking example of what may be accom- 
plished by persons of pluck and energy. Poor, desti- 
tute and barefooted, he came to Hanover with a sack, 
containing his all, on his shoulders. With the contents 
of this he began business. After several years' traffic 
he returned to Frankfort, from which city he had come, 
and opened a small business place, "over which hung 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 97 

the sign board of a red shield, called in German 'Roth- 
schild.' " 

Through his business as banker he formed an ac- 
quaintance with the Elector of Hesse Cassel. The Elec- 
tor taking him to be shrewd and trustworthy, employed 
him as his agent in different enterprises as the emergen- 
cies of those troublesome times seemed to suggest. The 
Elector soon after finding it necessary to flee the country, 
placed his cash amounting to several millions into the 
hands of the jew for safe keeping. At his return from 
exile, Anselm produced and paid over to the Elector the 
amount he had received from him at his departure. 
The Elector was highly pleased to recover his money. 
Anselm was well pleased with the interest he had re- 
ceived on the Elector's money. The sum the banker re- 
ceived in interest amounted to several millions. Hav- 
ing a large capital at his disposal now, he greatly en- 
larged his business. His efforts to amass wealth suc- 
ceeded. He became exceedingly rich. Before his 
death he called his five sons to his bedside and charged 
them to keep his wealth together. After his death the 
millions of the father became the property of the sons. 
They now dropped the name Anselm and adopted that of 
" Rothschild," from the sign over their banking house. 
The house of the Rothschilds has been acknowledged 
for half a century as the greatest money firm in the 
world. 



98 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

I would here guard you against an error which un- 
consciously may have been fastening on your minds. 
From what has been said you may have become im- 
pressed by this time with the idea that, to make life 
what it should be, large possessions must be amassed. 
We entertain no such view. The possession of riches is 
not necessary to a happy and useful life. Many are 
comfortably situated and extensively useful who own 
but little property. It is not certain that all who exert 
themselves will become wealthy. On the contrary, some 
who put forth vigorous efforts fail. Cases of this kind, 
however, are exceptions to the general rule. What we 
have tried to show and illustrate, is that persevering ef- 
fort wisely made, will succeed to an extent as to secure 
to us not only a competent living, but in most cases 
much more. You should not make wealth the chief 
object of life. It protects against want. To be poor 
subjects to great inconveniences, and sometimes to real 
want and suffering. But the wealthy, too, have their 
troubles, inconveniences and sufferings. Taking all in 
all, the advantages of wealth are not so great as many 
suppose them to be. Wealth brings with it responsibil- 
ity and trouble. It is a good servant. But to the 
avaricious slave a hard master. Having taken posses- 
sion of the heart, it becomes " the root of all evil." 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG- MEN. 99 

If successful in your business, you should not for- 
get to show gratitude to God for your possessions by a 
becoming liberality. Giving a proper part of your in- 
come to benevolent objects will not only make you use- 
ful, but secure to you the divine favor. What you do 
for the suffering poor, Christ says in the Gospel, you do 
to him. A barrel of flour sent to the poor makes glad 
hearts. So, too, you should not forget the Church and 
her interests. 

We now turn our attention to the professional and 
literary world. Here no less than elsewhere, well- 
directed and earnest effort will succeed. It will over- 
come great difficulties and accomplish wonderful results. 

History shows that some of the brightest ornaments 
of society and the most brilliant stars that have adorned 
the literary firmament, rose to their places of high dis- 
tinction from humble circumstances. In well-directed 
efforts they overcame great difficulties, began to shine 
and increase in brilliancy until they became great, dis- 
tinguished and admired by the multitude. 

Let us illustrate the preceding with a few examples. 

In 1808 a son was born in Raleigh, North Carolina, 
whose parents were under circumstances of depressing 
poverty. At the age of ten he was apprenticed to a 
tailor. He spent seven years as an apprentice at tailor- 
ing. Whilst thus engaged he felt a thirst for knowl- 



100 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

edge. Under its influence he commenced the work of 
self-education. Having heard some of the speeches 
made in the house of Lords read, he determined to learn 
to read. His efforts were aided by journeymen employed 
in the same shop. His patient, earnest application was 
crowned with success. He soon became able to read. 
His evenings were now spent after the usual day's work 
was over in reading. Not less than from two to five 
hours were spent in this way each night. After work- 
ing several years more at his trade for the support of 
his widowed mother and himself, he married. By the 
aid of his wife he now soon learned to cipher and write. 
From this time on his progress in letters was remark- 
able. With his advance in knowledge he grew in in- 
fluence. When but twenty years old he was eleoted al- 
derman of Greenville, Tennessee. From this time on 
he was elected to fill different offices of responsibility 
and trust until he reached the Senate of the United 
States. He was finally elected Vice President -of the 
United States, and after the assassination of Lincoln oc- 
cupied the Presidential chair. 

A distinguished writer said of him during the war : 
" Andrew Johnson has acquired a reputation wide as 
the land. His name has been heard in every home of 
the country. His eloquence in the Senate is well 
known. He has made better speeches himself than he 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 10 L 

ever read in that book of speeches which he so much ad- 
mired when a mere boy, and from which he drank his 
youthful inspiration. His loyal and stirring appeals all 
over the land since the great rebellion has been inaugu- 
rated in favor of the old flag have given new courage 
and confidence to thousands, and his name aud acts will 
fill an honorable chapter in the history of the war for 
the Union." 

A boy of fine talents in England, finding no opening 
at home for employment, started away with the hope of 
finding a situation elsewhere. He carried a small bun- 
dle containing his scanty clothing, and had in his pocket 
a purse containing "a few pennies given him by his 
good mother before he left her." He went to Exeter, 
but found no employment. The sight of books in the 
shop windows awakened in him a thirst for knowledge. 
" He at once set out for Oxford, two hundred miles, 
walking the whole weary way. At night he sometimes 
slept in barns or by the side of a hay stack. He lived 
chiefly on bread and water, with a little milk now and 
then." " With hard- worn garments, sore feet and de- 
jected spirits, he did not know what to do." Finding 
no other employment at Oxford, he engaged himself to 
the cook at Exeter College. Here "-he at once took to 
study. He could be seen at his work with his books 
close by. His ardent desire for books and study became 



102 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

known to the professors of the college. They took an 
interest in the youth, received him under their care as a 
poor student and provided for him." He made most 
remarkable progress in his studies. He rapidly rose to 
eminence as a scholar, and in due time was promoted to 
positions of honor and favored with titles of high dis- 
tinction. He was made Rector of the college, appointed 
Professor of Divinity, Vice Chancellor of the university, 
and finally Bishop of Worcester. His reputation for 
learning became known all over England and in foreign 
countries. Thus the poor boy with fiery zeal, some- 
times dejected and discouraged, overcame all difficulties 
in his way and became distinguished. Dr. J. Iridaux's 
name will be known and cherished for ages to come. 

A homeless orphan boy one day approached Rev. W. 
Galaudet with the inquiry, "Sir, can you tell me of a 
man who would like a boy to work for him and learn 
to read?" Mr. Galaudet took charge of the youthful 
stranger and had him taught to read. The boy made 
encouraging progress in letters. At a suitable age he 
was put out to learn a trade. His master discovered in 
him an ardent desire for books. To encourage the boy 
he fitted up a room for his occupation. This generous 
favor was highly appreciated. All his leisure time he 
now employed in his study.. When his day's work was 
over, he retired to his study, and there drank from the 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 103 

fountains of knowledge. Mathematics became a favorite 
study in which he made rapid progress. Having dis- 
covered " the rule for the measuring of a plane surface of 
whatever outline/ 7 for which the French Government 
had offered a prize, he repaired to Paris and "demon- 
strated his problem" in the presence of Louis Philippi, 
the king, his nobles and plenipotentiaries. The youth- 
ful mathematician received the plaudits of the court. 
The promised prize was duly conferred on him, together 
with other valuable gifts. From France he went to 
Russia on a similar mission. This trip, too, was a com- 
plete success. After this he returned to his native 
country. But soon after his return to America, at the 
solicitation of the Czar of Russia, he left the United 
States for St. Petersburg, where he was afterwards made 
Professor in the Royal College. Thus George Wilson 
made his way from obscurity and poverty to the high 
positions of distinction and honor he so ably filled. 
"The best soil," it has been affirmed, "produces noth- 
ing but weeds and thorns, unless it be cultivated. The 
richest mines are useless, unless they are opened. So 
native talent is hidden until it is opened by a resolute 
application. Many a one has gone down to his grave 
"unwept, unhonored, unsung/' who by proper atten- 
tion to his intellectual culture might have attained to 
positions of honor and true greatness. 



104 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

The masses attempt nothing outside the common 
routine of every day life, because they entertain the idea 
that only men of extraordinary talents can succeed in 
the accomplishment of anything great and important. 
Hence, they move on quietly, attempt but little and ac- 
complish less. Fine natural abilities remain undevel- 
oped, and opportunities the most favorable pass by with- 
out being turned to any real advantage. 

Under the influence of this error, boys become young 
men ; young men reach the meridian of life, and then, 
as times bears them on, go down to the grave, without 
leaving any marks of usefulness behind them. Those 
that come after them, find the world no better because of 
anything they had done. 

The examples of the preceding pages show a differ- 
ent result. They show to what beauty the rough mar- 
ble from the quarry may be hewn. They show to what 
advantage the intellect may be cultivated and the latent 
powers of the mind developed. They show what great 
difficulties may be overcome by persevering, well di- 
rected effort. 

Do not think, therefore, young reader, that the most 
distinguished men are necessarily the most talented. 
Ordinary talent, duly improved by proper cultivation, 
and earnest effort, in many instances, has brought its 
possessor to the occupancy of a high position in the tern- 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN". 105 

pie of fame. By this we do not affirm that every one 
who tries to improve his intellect and turn to good ac- 
count the means within his reach, will accumulate an 
independent fortune or become distinguished in letters. 
We only assert that faithful effort, wisely directed, 
whether in the field, behind the counter, in the work- 
shop, or anywhere else, will be rewarded by success. 

We now turn to Bible history for additional exam- 
ples in illustration of the principles we advocate. It 
contains the names of a number of remarkable men. 
Their virtues, their moral courage and noble deeds shine 
forth through the darkness of the ages with a dazzling 
light and moral splendor. They became distinguished, 
not by noble birth, wealth and superior talent, but by 
noble deeds. They believed in God, put their trust in 
Him and attended to their duty. Other circumstances 
seem to have been against them. From Moses down to 
Christ and His Apostles, with scarcely an exception, 
they were born in and came from places of obscurity. 
In most cases very little is known of their early history. 
The few facts found in the Bible in reference to a num- 
ber of them, show that they feared the Lord from the 
days of their youth. They were submissive and obedi- 
ent to parental authority. They were examples of early 
piety. 



8 



106 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

We love the Bible, that good old book. We love 
and cherish its teachings. We believe its doctrines and 
highly value the morals it teaches. More than ever do 
we regard it as the great lever in God's hand, by which 
the moral world will be lifted up to eminence, far above 
that occupied by it at any time in the past, or any that 
could possibly be reached by mere human wisdom and 
power. It is for this reason we turn to it. 

Nearly sixteen hundred years before the Christian 
era, a Hebrew child was found among the bulrushes at 
the banks of the Nile, weeping. He was taken from 
his perilous position by order of the king's daughter, 
who directed that a nurse should be secured to take 
care of him. A favorite with his distinguished bene- 
factress, he was adopted into the royal family and 
brought up in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. Noth- 
ing is left on record in reference to the days of his boy- 
hood. In the epistle to the Hebrews, Paul states that 
when Moses came to the years of maturity, "he re- 
fused," by faith, "to be called the son of Pharaoh's 
daughter." When taken from the little ark on the 
banks of the Nile, he was placed under the care and 
training of his mother. She was a woman who feared 
God, and had been distinguished for her strong faith in 
Him. From what the Scriptures contain in reference 
to the life of Moses previous to his commission to lib- 



A BOOK FOE BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 107 

erate Israel from Egyptian bondage, it is evident that 
his mother taught him the principles and doctrines of 
the Jewish religion during the days of his childhood. 
The instructions given him were received and cherished, 
as is shown afterwards in his life and character. We 
ascribe it to his early training, under God's blessing, 
more than to anything else, that he refused to be called 
the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose rather to suf- 
fer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the 
pleasures of sin for a season. Maternal instruction in 
early life laid the foundation for the future greatness 
and success of Moses. He had been taught to fear God 
and do right. When God commanded him to appear 
in the royal palace of the Pharaohs, to demand the lib- 
eration of His people, Moses risked his all on earth, and 
then, in the fear of God, went forward. God supported 
him. Moses succeeded in his work. The Israelites 
were made free, and, by signs and wonders wrought by 
the hand of God, finally landed in the promised Ca- 
naan. Although Moses was not permitted to enter the 
promised land himself, because of the wrong he had 
committed on the way, yet God exalted him to a posi- 
tion of honor more distinguished than that reached by 
any other of the Old Testament prophets. 

The history of Joseph furnishes us with another in- 
teresting example. The father's partiality for this son, 



108 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

no doubt, was based on real merit. His conduct in his 
earlier years was that of an obedient, inoffensive, trust- 
worthy boy. His good behavior won for him the con- 
fidence and affection of his father, and prepared Joseph 
for the trials which awaited him in the future. The 
parental affection bestowed on Joseph filled his brethren 
with envy and jealousy. They could no longer endure 
the special favors shown their brother. Completely un- 
der the control of evil passions, they were bent on in- 
juring him. All that was wanted, was an opportunity 
to do their worst. The opportunity came, and had it 
not been for the generous interposition of one of their 
number, his life would have been sacrificed. Eeuben 
prevented them from carrying their evil purpose into 
effect. He plead for the life of his brother. Although 
he kept them from the shedd ; ng of innocent blood, their 
passions still ran high. They seized him with the hands 
of cruel tyrants and cast him into a horrible pit, to die 
by exposure and starvation. Now Judah interceded in 
his behalf, and persuaded them to take him from the 
pit. A company of trading Ishmaelites having arrived 
at the place by this time, he was sold to them, carried to 
Egypt and there sold into perpetual bondage ! Gloomy 
and hopeless must have been his outlook at this time. 
A stranger in a strange land, without money or friend, 
nothing but oppression and wrong could be expected. 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 109 

However, the other side of the picture looked more fa- 
vorable. Joseph trusted in God, and did right. In his 
sorest trials and temptations, he maintained his integ- 
rity. God was with and supported him. His days of 
gloom and adversity rapidly passed away. His deliv- 
erance from the oppressor's hand came, to be followed 
by royal honors and power ! The Lord, who had not 
been an indifferent observer of the events that transpired 
in the history of Joseph, revealed to him the import of 
the extraordinary dream of Pharaoh. This was the 
turning point in Joseph's history. Having been sent 
for, he appeared in the presence of the king and made 
known the import of his dream, suggesting the adoption 
of a most wise and judicious policy to meet the emergen- 
cies of the future. The king accepted the interpretation 
of the dream, adopted the suggestions of Joseph, and to 
show his appreciation of what had been done, Pharaoh 
took the royal" ring from his hand and put it on Jo- 
seph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, 
and put a gold chain about his neck, and he made him 
to ride in the second chariot which he had ; and they 
cried before him, bow the knee ; and he made him ruler 
over all the land of Egypt." "Only in the throne," 
said the king, "will I be greater than thou." 

When the great famine, foretold by Joseph, came, 
it extended over all the country, and northward to Pal- 



110 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

estine, Joseph's home, where his father and brethren 
still dwelt. Finding no other place whence to obtain 
bread, Joseph's brethren were sent to Egypt for sup- 
plies. Here they met the brother they had envied, 
hated and so cruelly treated. They knew him not. 
The days of adversity and oppression, through which he 
had passed, had changed his appearance. Fourteen 
years had also been added to the age of the youth, bring- 
ing him up to the full vigor and strength of manhood. 
Besides this, he now stood before them, not in his coat 
of many colors, but arrayed in "fine linen," with the 
royal ring on his hand and golden chain around his 
neck. No wonder they knew him not ! Still less need 
we wonder that they grew pale and trembled in his 
presence, when he spoke roughly to them, to bring to 
their bitter recollection the great wrongs they had done 
him. Meanwhile Joseph's heart yearned towards them 
with a brother's affection. After he had brought them 
to a full consciousness of the great wrongs they had 
committed, he made himself known in a most tender 
and sympathetic manner. His aged father was sent for, 
and the most ample provisions were made for the suste- 
nance of the family. 

In the history of Joseph we start out with the young- 
est of twelve sons in the family of Jacob. Of his early 
life nothing is left on record which indicates superior 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. Ill 

talents. His history as given in the Bible indicates 
that he was of a quiet disposition, inclined patiently to 
endure wrongs rather than to resent them. Others in 
the family, probably, were more talented than he was. 
But he was more upright and pious. He feared God. 
He resisted evil and tried to do right. 

Had he been selfish, disrespectful to his parents and 
guilty of other great improprieties, his distinguished 
father could not have bestowed on him so high a de- 
gree of confidence, nor could he have had so tender an 
affection for him. It was not, therefore, an unjustifi- 
able partiality, but real worth, that had won the father's 
heart. It was his piety, his faith and abiding confi- 
dence in God that enabled Joseph patiently to endure 
the wrongs to which he was subjected. It was his un- 
wavering confidence in God that secured to him the aid 
from heaven which was necessary to enable him to in- 
terpret Pharaoh's dream, and devise a plan through 
which the nation could be saved from starvation during 
the seven years of famine that were to come. 

In the case of Joseph we have a most striking 
illustration of the principles we advocate. Real worth, 
manly, well-directed effort win the day. 

What made the conduct of Joseph's brethren worse, 
was the attempt to deceive their father. He thought 
that Joseph had been torn by the wild beasts of the 



112 THE EOAD TO SUCCESS. 

forests. Jacob bitterly sorrowed over the loss of his 
darling son. Fourteen years passed away, during which 
time Joseph endured severe hardships and many wrongs. 
In the day of adversity he continued true to the reli- 
gious principles he had been taught under the paternal 
roof. His long and wearisome bondage came to an end. 
The day of deliverance came. It came in time to re- 
lieve his aged father and brethren from the sufferings of 
a severe famine. In time to enable Joseph to be of 
great service to Pharaoh and the Egyptians. In time 
for the exaltation of Joseph. In time to give an op- 
portunity for the development of the religious princi- 
ples he had imbibed in the days of his boyhood. In 
time for the accomplishment of God's purposes. Now, 
at the age of thirty, we see him, whom his brethren had 
envied and sold into slavery, exalted to a place side by 
side with one of the most powerful monarchs of ancient 
times, clothed in fine linen, with a royal ring on his 
hand and golden chain around his neck, second only to 
the king. 

Samuel, the distinguished prophet who lived in the 
days of Saul, first** king of Israel, was only ten or at 
most twelve years old when the Lord appeared to him in 
a vision. When he heard the voice of the Lord he arose 
from his bed, and supposing it to have been the voice of 
the aged priest, Eli,*under whom he served, hastened to 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 113 

his room and respectfully answered. On being sent 
back, Samuel was again addressed by the same voice. 
He arose, hastened to his master and answered as he 
had done before. The venerable priest now perceived 
that it was the voice of the Lord that Samuel had heard. 
He then told Samuel what to do, in case he should hear 
the voice again. He obeyed Eli, concerning whom and 
his sons, the youthful prophet now received revelations 
from God. He dealt faithfully with Eli, told him of 
the wrongs he had done and of the severe judgments 
that were to follow as the punishment of his sins. Un- 
der divine influences and direction, Samuel soon was 
elevated to a conspicious place in Jewish history. He 
had been the last of the judges who judged Israel before 
the exaltation of Saul to the throne. During the long 
reign of Saul, Samuel took great interest in the welfare 
of the nation, and occupied a prominent place in connec- 
tion with the great events that took place during his 
public life. He was true to God whose favor he en- 
joyed, and was held in high estimation by the people. 
He began to minister "before the Lord" when but 
a "child" under Eli, and after Eli's death was consulted 
by Saul as the " man of God." He died at the age of 
ninety-eight years, having lived during thirty-eight 
of the forty - years, in which Saul reigned over Israel. 
Supposing Samuel to have been eight years old when 



114 THE EOAD TO SUCCESS. 

the Lord appeared to him first in visions of the night, 
he must have served the Lord in a public capacity for 
the long period of ninety years. 

David, the man after God's heart, the most renowned 
king of Israel, who succeeded Saul, and whom Samuel 
anointed to the Jewish throne in early life, lived in ob- 
scurity. When the prophet had found the family of 
Jesse, from which the successor to Saul was to come, one 
after the other of his sons was brought forward before 
Samuel, but all were rejected. The inquiry was now 
made whether there were no more sons in the family. 
The answer was " one more, the youngest." As if not 
considered worthy of any place of importance, and as if 
fit for the obscure services of a shepherd's boy only, he 
had not so much as been named, but left at his place of 
duty. At the direct demand of the prophet, David was 
sent for, and on his appearance "the Lord said, arise, 
anoint him, for this is he." 1 Sam. 16 : 12. 

David has spent the days of his boyhood in the 
country. In early life he spent his time in the shep- 
herd's tent, or in company with other members of the 
family, attending to his father's flocks. He knew 
nothing of the affairs of public life. The bleating of 
the sheep and the sound of the shepherd's horn was all 
the music he had heard in the days of his childhood. 
As soon as he was old enough for duty, he was put to 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 115 

work. From his pious life we justly infer that he was 
early taught to fear God and put his trust in Him. 
Whilst at his post of duty, he was more or less fre- 
quently exposed to danger. The forests, which hemmed 
in the pasturing grounds on which the shepherds grazed 
their flocks, were infested with wild beasts. These 
more or less frequently came from their places of retreat 
and attacked the shepherd's flocks. It was the shep- 
herd's interest and duty to protect his sheep in times of 
danger. David was aware of this, and true to the in- 
stincts and principles of a faithful shepherd, when but 
a mere boy shrunk from no danger for the safety of the 
sheep under his care. On one occasion, " there came a 
lion and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock." He 
" went out after" them, delivered the lamb from their 
teeth, "and slew both, the lion and the bear." His suc- 
cess in this dangerous undertaking strengthened the 
faith and confidence of the shepherd boy in God. He 
felt quite certain that his success was the result of di- 
vine aid. Hence, when he undertook to meet Goliath, 
the boasting giant from the camp of the Philistines, he 
did it, not confiding in his own strength, but in full re- 
liance on God. Goliath had challenged the Israelites 
to send out a man from their army, to meet him in sin- 
gle combat. His challenge was accompanied with con- 
siderable flourish and boasting. By this Israel was ter- 



116 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

rified. There was not a man found in the ranks of 
their army who had the courage to meet the enemy. 
This encouraged the self-confident boaster. He repeated 
his challenge from day to day, eager to enter into com- 
bat with anyone who would accept his challenge. Pres- 
ently, whilst repeating his round as usually, Providence 
had brought David, the stripling shepherd boy, to the 
camp of the Israelites. His pious heart was touched 
and his soul moved by the blasphemous boasting of the 
giant. He could not endure the idea that not only the 
army of Israel, but also Israel's God should thus be de- 
fied. In full faith and humble reliance on God, 
David came to the front and volunteered to meet the 
boasting foe. He had come with provisions for his 
three brothers in the army. One of these was highly 
displeased, and undertook to reprimand him. The 
stripling brother endured the wrong, but remained firm 
in his purpose to do his best, to remove the reproach 
under which Israel lay. The matter was reported to 
King Saul, who accepted of David and his proposition. 
Goliath took it as a great insult to be met by a mere 
boy. "Am I a dog," said he, "that thou comest to me 
with staves," and " cursed David by his gods." " Come 
to me, and I will give thy fiesh unto the fowls of the air 
and to the beasts of the field." David replied, "thou 
comest to me with a sword and with a spear, and with 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 117 

a shield, but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of 
hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast 
defied/' As David drew near, armed with a sling and 
a few smooth stones from the brook, his antagonist "dis- 
dained him." The hour was one of awful significance. 
The eyes of two great armies were fixed on the boasting 
giant and the stripling that was to meet him in deadly 
combat. Victory or defeat on either side, was the only 
alternative. Every heart beat with strongest emotions. 
The moment for action had come. The combatants 
rush forward, and the conflict is soon over. One effort 
on the part of David, before his antagonist came near 
enough to use his weapons, sent the smooth stone from 
his sling into the forehead of Goliath. The giant fell 
to the ground on his face. In a moment David was 
on the spot, seized the enemy's great sword, sprang on 
him, and with it hewed off his head. Thus fell the 
giant of eleven feet and eleven inches by the hand of a 
shepherd boy ! 

The result was a great victory of the Israelites over 
the Philistines. The latter fled in dismay, and were 
pursued by the former far over into the enemy's country. 

Previous to their call to become disciples of Christ, 
the apostles had been fishermen. They were poor, and 
had made their living by toil, often exposed to the in- 
clemency of the weather and the dangers of their occu- 



118 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

pation. Of their previous history we know nothing, bat 
what may be inferred from the life of the fisherman. 
In them we see verified what Paul declares when he 
says : " Not many wise men after the flesh, not many 
mighty, not many noble, are called; but God hath 
chosen the weak things of the world to confound things 
which are mighty and base things of the world, and things 
which are despised, hath God chosen, yea and things 
which are not, to bring to naught things that are, that 
no flesh should glory in his presence," 1 Cor. 1 : 26 — 30. 
The same takes place in the history of our nation 
daily. Some in high places fail and pass out of sight. 
The advantages of education and family relations can- 
not save them. Others hitherto unknown to the pub- 
lic, come on the stage of action and soon become promi- 
nent. Our government and public schools open their 
way for and favor this tendency. Hence to real worth 
and native energy all the high offices and places of trust 
in this country are alike accessible to all who possess the 
necessary qualifications to fill them. This accounts for 
the fact that so many of our public men have come from 
the ordinary walks of life. They began in the shop, on 
the farm, in the quarry, under disadvantages, and 
some of them under great discouragements. From the 
humble and trying positions in which they made their 
start in the world, they made their way upward. Their 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 119 

success came through the toils and efforts of many years. 
Step by step they advanced and rose higher and still 
higher, until they reached positions of eminence and 
great usefulness. These statements are strikingly illus- 
trated and proven by the many distinguished and great 
men known in the history of our own and other countries. 

Copernicus started in a barber shop. Hugh Miller 
and Ben. Johnson began their career with the mason's 
trowel in hand. Columbus and Dr. Livingston came 
from the weaver's shuttle. William Casy, the million- 
aire, started in business on the shoemaker's bench. 
Robert Burns in early life followed the plow. Shake- 
speare did services at the theatre as "prompter's boy" 
and " by holding horses for gentlemen at the door of the 
playhouse." Michael Farada} r , the distinguished philos- 
opher, worked at the blacksmith's anvil. Distinguished 
men of our own country are noticed elsewhere. They 
need not be named here. 

It is worthy of our attention that the results of 
youthful effort are frequently most remarkable. In 
many cases those young in years succeed in accomplish- 
ing what others, older than they, could not do. The 
following, taken from the Evangelical Churchman, strik- 
ingly illustrates what is here affirmed, and clearly 
shows how God, not by any miracle, but through proper 
and faithful effort, put forth by those who put their 



120 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

trust in Him, sustains and prospers them in doing that 
which is right. We give the narrative in full, as con- 
tained in the Churchman. 

SENTENCED TO BE SHOT. 

Farmer Owen's son had been found asleep while do- 
ing sentinel duty, and was sentenced to be shot. A tele- 
gram had been received by his father, saying that the 
sentence would be carried out in twenty-four hours. 
Mr. Allen, the minister, called to comfort the sorrowing 
family. During his visit a letter arrived. Blossom, 
the farmer's little daughter, opened the door and re- 
ceived it. "It is from him," was all that she said as 
she handed it to the minister, who opened it and read 
as follows : "Dear father, when this reaches you, I will 
be in eternity. I am going to write you all about it. 
You know I promised Jimmie Carr's mother I would 
look after her boy ; and when he fell sick, I did all I 
could for him. He was not strong when he was ordered 
back into the ranks, and the day before that night I 
carried all his baggage, beside my own, on our march. 
If I had not lent him an arm, now and then, he would 
have dropped by the way. I was tired out when we 
went into camp, and then it was Jimmie's turn to be 
sentry, and I would take his place ; but I was too tired, 
father. I could not have kept awake, though a gun 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 121 

had been pointed at my head; but I did not know it 
until — well — until it was too late. They tell me to-day 
that I have a short reprieve — ' time to write to you/ 
our good colonel says. Forgive him, father ; he only 
does his duty. He would gladly save me, if he could. 
And do not lay my death up against Jimmie. The 
poor boy is broken-hearted, and does nothing but beg 
and entreat them to let him die in my stead. I can't 
bear to think of mother and Blossom. To-night I shall 
see the cows all coming home from pasture, and precious 
little Blossom, standing, waiting for me ; but — I — shall 
never — never — come. God bless you all. Forgive 
your poor Bennie." 

Late that night a little figure glided down the foot- 
path toward the railway station. The guard, as he 
reached down to lift her into the carriage, wondered at 
the tear-stained face that was upturned toward the dim 
lantern he held in his hand. A few questions and 
ready answers told him all, and no father could have 
cared more tenderly for his own child than he did for 
little Blossom. She was on her way to Washington to 
ask President Lincoln for her brother's life, and had 
brought Bennie's letter with her. Next morning they 
reached New York, and the guard hurried her on to 
Washington. A minute now might be the means of 
saving her brother's life. The President had but just 
9 



122 THE EOAD TO SUCCESS. 

seated himself to his evening's task, when the door 
softly opened, and Blossom, with downcast eyes and 
folded hands, stood before him. " Well, my child," he 
said, in his pleasant, cheerful tone, " what do you want." 
" Bennie's life, please sir," faltered Blossom. "Bennie ! 
who is Bennie ?" " My brother, sir. They are going 
to shoot him for sleeping at his post." "Oh, yes; I 
remember. It was a fatal sleep. You see, child, it was 
a time of special danger. Thousands of lives might 
have been lost by his negligence." " So, my father 
said," replied Blossom gravely. "But Bennie was so 
tired, sir, and Jimmie so weak. He did the work of 
two, sir, and it was Jimmie's night, not his ; but Jimmie 
was too tired, and Bennie never thought about himself, 
that he was tired too." " What is this you say, child ? 
Come here, I do not understand." Blossom went to 
him. He put his hand on her shoulder, and turned up 
the pale, anxious face towards his. How tall he seemed ! 
And he was President of the United States, too. A dim 
thought of this kind passed for a moment through Blos- 
som's mind ; but she told her simple straightforward 
story, and handed Bennie's letter to Mr. Lincoln to 
read. He read it carefully; then, taking up his pen, 
wrote a few hasty lines and rang his bell. Blossom 
heard this order given : "Send this dispatch at once." 
The President then turned to the girl aud said: "Go 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 123 

home, my child, and tell your father, who can approve 
his country's sentence, even if it take the life of a child 
like that, that Abraham Lincoln thinks that life far too 
precious to be lost. Go back, or — wait until to-morrow ; 
JBennie will need a change after he has so bravely faced 
death ; he shall go with you." " God bless you," said 
Blossom. Two days after this interview the young sol- 
dier came to the White House with his little sister. He 
was called into the President's private room, and a strap 
was fastened on his shoulder. Mr. Lincoln then said : 
" The soldier that could carry a sick comrade's baggage, 
and die for the act so uncomplainingly, deserves well of 
his country." The brave soldier, accompanied by his 
equally brave sister, now started for their Green Moun- 
tain home. A hearty and enthusiastic welcome greeted 
them at their arrival. a The Lord be praised," was the 
fervent exclamation of the father ! The submission of 
the youthful soldier, no doubt, was a great relief to him. 
His submission was based on a consciousness of his in- 
nocence. He had done right. He had loved his neigh- 
bor as himself. He had done all he could for his com- 
rade, all he possibly could have done for himself. And 
now that the sentence had been passed on him, he could 
only submit himself to his God ! In the part taken by 
her, the big heart of the brave little Blossom shone 
forth, at every step, with a heavenly lustre ! She re- 



124 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

turned from Washington, with a most precious trophy 
of victory, a brother saved from death ! 

Of all the acts of President Lincoln, none leaves a 
more favorable impression on us than this one, by 
which the innocent soldier, condemned to death, was so 
readily pardoned and sent home with the badge of 
honor ! Everything recited in the preceding narrative 
shows that doing right is the safest and wisest course 
we can adopt. Although doing right, in an indirect 
way, brought the innocent soldier under condemnation, 
the pardon of the President came in time to deliver him 
from death, and to send him home with becoming 
honor. 

The agents in this narrative were all prompt in do- 
ing their duty. The doomed soldier comes first. He 
submits in a manly, brave manner to the sentence. * Al- 
though he is conscious of being condemned for a delin- 
quency which was brought on him through his kind- 
ness to a comrade in arms, he utters no complaint. He 
does nothing for his relief, taking for granted that the 
dreadful sentence must go into effect. But, to place 
himself in a true light before the public, and to inform 
his parents and friends of the facts in the case, he at 
once writes home. The letter awakens the deepest sym- 
pathy for him. Every heart is moved. The idea of 
obtaining a pardon for him at once presents itself. But 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 125 

the shortness of the time and the uncertainties connected 
with all efforts of the kind, left but little hope of any 
favorable results. The little sister might have excused 
herself from going to Washington for his pardon on 
the ground of being too young and inexperienced for so 
important a mission. But it was in her soul to do the 
best she could for her brother. The guard under whose 
escort she was to be brought into the presence of the 
President, did his part well. President Lincoln was 
found in his office, ready to give attention to the appli- 
cation of the youthful and timorous visitor. God pre- 
sided over the entire movement. It was a grand suc- 
cess. The condemned soldier was pardoned. A pre- 
cious life was saved. Many hearts were made glad. 

Had any one of the agents, who took part in the ef- 
fort to save the condemned soldier, failed to act promptly, 
he would have been shot. 



CHAPTER XL 



Choice of Occupation. 



You should make choice of some trade or profes- 
sion . The day laborer may succeed in making a liveli- 
hood. His way of doing it, however, is a tedious and 
uncertain one. Far better have a trade; enter into 
some business or profession for which you may be qual- 
ified, One of the most important things in a boy's or 
young man's life is, to find the place into which he fits 
best. The talents of individual boys differ widely. 
Hence, the occupation which is adapted to the taste and 
talents of one, may not suit those of another. One pos- 
sesses the natural qualifications to make a good me- 
chanic. Another will do better on the farm than any- 
where else. A third would make a good physician. A 
fourth would be in his element behind the counter. No 
business, profession or trade should be tried, unless it 
be preferred to all others. Much time has been lost 
and money expended by active, promising young men, 
in learning a trade or engaging in a business not to 
their taste. Finding their employment not pleasant 
or agreeable, they abandon it for something else. They 
now make a new start. This can rarely be done, with- 
out a sacrifice of time and means. My advice is, get at 
something you prefer, and then make yourself as effi- 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG- MEN. 127 

cient as you can at it, and persevere as long as there is 
any hope of making it a success. One kind of business, 
trade or profession, is enough to occupy all your time 
and attentiou. 

A common mistake with country boys is their dis- 
position to leave the rural districts for the larger towns 
and cities. A number of them regard farming as a 
kind of drudgery which they disdain. The farmer 
they look upon as doomed to a lifetime of hard labor, 
without the hope of accumulating any considerable 
amount of wealth. They would rather turn the wheels 
of fortune more rapidly than can be done by following 
the plow. 

Others have a full share of ambition, and would pre- 
fer more conspicuous places than those occupied by the 
mechanic, the day laborer and the farmer. These aspire 
to public offices or the learned professions. They strike 
out into the world, each in his own direction, hopeful of 
success and a bright future. A few are successful. 
Some have an up-hill road to travel. Some change their 
programme. Some land in the unenviable regions of 
the worst quackery, whilst a goodly number fail alto- 
gether. In many cases parents and guardians are more 
to blame than their sons, or those over whom they are 
placed. A wealthy father concludes that one of his 
sons shall study medicine. Another, he thinks, would 



128 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

make a good merchant, and the third a successful 
preacher. He is willing to bear the expenses of educat- 
ing them, forgetful of the fact, however, that natural 
adaptation or fitness of the sons to their business or pro- 
fessions is as necessary as an education. The want of 
this and the lack of brains cannot be remedied by edu- 
cation or a collegiate course of study. The best it can 
do in such cases, is to make pretenders instead of effi- 
cient men. We have already stated that the rural dis- 
tricts of the country have always furnished their full 
share of great and useful men. But we do not believe 
that every one who may aspire after places of distinc- 
tion and honor, will succeed in his efforts to secure 
them. A great deal can be done by earnest, persever- 
ing effort. The young, however, can only become great 
and distinguished, by finding the places to which they 
are adapted, and the work for which they have a 
natural fitness. Such, by paying due attention to their 
surroundings and to passing events, are very likely to 
find them. David was a shepherd boy. In all proba- 
bility he was born in a shepherd's tent, erected on the 
plains where his father's flocks were pastured. In his 
first years he saw and heard nothing except what was 
common to the ever-shifting scenes of shepherd life. 
But God had intended him for a more important place 
than that in which he moved whilst attending to 



A BOOK FOE BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 129 

his father's flocks. The war between Israel and the 
Philistines drew from the family of Jesse three of 
David's brothers. These must have provisions. He is 
sent with the same, just when a great battle was sup- 
posed to be at hand. The stripling youth came in time 
to hear the challenge of Goliath, the boasting Philis- 
tine. The Lord put it into David's heart to undertake 
his overthrow. This was David's time and opportun- 
ity. He turned both to good account. He showed 
himself equal to his task. With a manly, noble cour- 
age, trusting in God for the success in his undertaking, 
he stepped forward and ran to meet the enemy. With 
his first effort he laid the giant low in the dust at his 
feet. 

Joseph was needed in the royal palace of the 
Pharaohs. God, in his providence, opened the way for 
him. Joseph then in a most remarkable way moved 
forward, step by step, until he stood in the presence of 
the king, and afterwards was appointed by him to the 
high and responsible place he was designed to fill. Dan- 
iel furnishes us with another remarkable example. In 
the history of Moses we have another striking illustra- 
tion of the same truth. How great and serious the 
hinderances in his way. Yet, as these were removed 
and the way opened, Moses found his place, all along 
throughout his eventful career. 



130 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS, 

It is right that parents do what they can to start 
their children in business, or get employment for 
them. But they should not attempt to put them into 
places to which they are not adapted, and which they 
cannot fill. Nor do I expect that God will direct any 
in our times as He did Moses and Samuel, by a voice 
from heaven. No miracle is necessary to bring you to 
your posts of duty. God, in the regular order of events, 
will open the way, whilst it will be for you to be ready, 
when the opportunity comes, to step forward and im- 
prove it. If you fail in this, you will fail everywhere. 
Had Joseph not been a worthy young man from his 
youth, had he not put his trust in God, he never would 
have been able to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh. 
His help was in God. Yet, he was ready for any 
emergency, and so promptly filled the openings before 
him, step by step, as if all had depended on his own 
decision and action. 

The same is true of Daniel. Had he laid aside his 
integrity after he had been brought to Babylon, and in- 
dulged freely in the use of wine and the royal luxuries 
that were offered him, subsequent events would have been 
very different. Instead of the glorious future which 
awaited him, a life of luxury and intemperance would 
have followed, at least for the three years named by the 
king. At the expiration of these, Daniel would, in all 



A BOOK FOR BOYS ASD YOUNG MEN. 131 

probability, have been a complete moral wreck. Instead 
of this, however, he was firm in the principles he had 
been taught in the days of childhood and youth, in his 
native country where the God of Israel was worshiped. 
He " purposed in his heart that he would not defile 
himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with 
the wine that he drank." He was true to this purpose, 
and by the time he appeared before the king, there were 
a found none like Daniel" and his three Hebrew friends, 
who, like he, had lived temperately on plain diet. 
When no one could be found to make known and inter- 
pret the remarkable dream which Nebuchadnezzar had 
had, God revealed it to Daniel. On making the dream 
known to the king, and giving the interpretation there- 
of, "the king made Daniel a great man and gave him 
many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole 
province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over 
all the wise men of Babylon." 

From these examples, my young friends, you see 
that whilst God opens the way and gives the aid needed, 
the opportunities which turn up, must be met and 
promptly improved, or they are of no value. If pru- 
dent and wise, you will, by giving proper attention to 
things around you, be able, without much difficulty, to 
find the right places which you should fill. 



132 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

My advice to boys and young men in the country is, 
that they be not in too great haste to leave their homes 
and occupations for city life. It is true, in the country 
wealth cannot be so rapidly accumulated as in large 
towns and cities. But the likelihood of success in ef- 
forts to make an honest, upright living, and of enjoying 
the fruit of their labors, is much greater with farmers 
than with those living in our towns and cities. Even 
if unsuccessful, farmers and others in the country have 
superior advantages in making a new start. Besides, " in 
very many respects, life in the country is sweeter, purer, 
healthier, better, and in every way more desirable" than 
in town or city. The openings to temptation and vice 
are much more common and dangerous here than in the 
rural districts. Hence profligacy and crime are more 
prevalent. Although this is generally admitted, city 
life is regarded by many in the country as more elevated 
and desirable than life on the farm. To them it has a 
mysterious charm in its gaiety, its costly and fashion- 
able apparel, its refined manners and dignified airs. 
Hence, many covet its supposed advantages, and sigh to 
get rid of the cares and toils of life in the fields. For 
the same reason farmers' sons in so many cases become 
dissatisfied and seek employment elsewhere. Their 
work has become distasteful and a burden to them. It 
does not pay well enough, and above all, gives a rough, 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 133 

shabby appearance to the tiller of the soil. All this is 
more than they can endure. They groan under its 
weight. They look at the worst side of the picture in 
life on the farm, and on the most favorable side in city 
life. They know but little about the realities of life 
in our larger towns and cities. They have not experi- 
enced the rivalry, envy and bitter disappointments there 
met with by so many. Nor have they come in contact 
with the competition and many annoyances and disad- 
vantages with which business men are obliged to con- 
tend. Whilst some prosper, become wealthy and enjoy 
life to its full extent, there are more who never succeed. 
These have a hard road to travel. Among the poor 
there is great destitution, and sometimes real suffering. 
Poverty in our cities generally subjects to greater suffer- 
ings than it does in the country. In view of all this, 
and the fact that many from the country do not succeed 
in their efforts, we advice boys and young men who 
have comfortable homes, and fair prospects for a com- 
petent living, to stay where they are. 



CHAPTER XII. 



Miscellaneous Topics, 



Habits. Habit is " a condition or disposition of mind 
or body," which, if not prevented by other causes, will 
incline to the performance of certain acts, whatever these 
may be. "The disposition or condition," which con- 
tains in it this tendency, is "acquired by custom or a fre- 
quent repetition of the same act." Hence habit is not a 
law of our nature, but produced by voluntary acts fre- 
quently repeated. In the formation of habits, persons 
commence and repeat that which is agreeable to their 
taste and feelings ; or that which, although at first not 
pleasant, by a continued repetition becomes agreeable. 
A man having washed at the fountain early in the 
morning, drinks a small quantity of fresh water. He 
feels refreshed and invigorated by its use. He con- 
cludes to do the same thing next morning. Believing 
that it will promote his health, he repeats it morning 
after morning, until it becomes a habit it would be dif- 
ficult for him to quit. The habitual use of tobacco is 
brought about in the same way. The use of tobacco, 
however, is disagreeable at first and cannot be contin- 
ued, except under the protest of our physical nature. 
The stomach becomes disordered, and the head sick. 
The former ejects the portion of the weed that has 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 135 

found its way into it, and the latter protests against its 
further use. But singularly enough, its use may be re- 
peated until nature becomes adapted to it, so as no 
longer to offer any resistance. Thus, smoking and 
chewing gradually becomes agreeable. In this way, by 
repeated use, either soon becomes a habit. 

In like manner boys and young men become tipplers 
and drunkards. They become such, not by taking one 
drink of beer or rum, but by repeating their drinks. It 
is the frequent repetition of drinking strong drinks that 
makes drunkards, and confirms men in intemperance. 

Let me call your attention to some of .the bad 
habits common among roughs and outcasts of society, 
against which you should guard. 

Speaking the untruth. Lying is a source of much 
mischief. It not unfrequently lays the crimes of the 
guilty on the shoulders of the innocent. It turns neigh- 
bor against neighbor, snaps asunder the friendship ex- 
isting between the most intimate friends. Frequently 
an untruth is spoken to get out of difficulty. Some one 
has committed an impropriety or wrong. To escape de- 
tection and cover over the deed, he resorts to falsehood. 
To the first untruth, a second and a third is added if 
necessary. A boy who deliberately tells an untruth in 
one instance, is likely to do it again, and to repeat it as 
often as circumstances may dictate. If it become 



136 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

known that his word is not reliable, he will not be 
credited even when he speaks the truth. Would any- 
one who has practiced this evil, break himself of it, let 
him resolve that, if ever he should again become guilty 
of uttering an untruth, to the prejudice or injury of an- 
other, he will take back the falsehood, ask pardon of 
the injured party, and make a becoming apology for the 
wrong deed. The enforcement of this suggestion will 
prove an effectual cure. 

The use of 'profane language is another bad habit to 
be avoided. Profanity is exceedingly vulgar, and is 
most common among "roughs," the most ignorant and 
rude, the offscouring of society. It is an insult to God. 
In the third commandment it is affirmed that "God 
will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in 
vain." In the days of Moses, a quarrel arose between 
a man and a woman. The son of the latter " blas- 
phemed the name of the Lord, and cursed/' He was 
brought before Moses and detained until the will of 
God in the case would be made known. The direct or- 
ders to Moses were : " Bring forth him that has cursed 
without the camp, and let all that heard him lay their 
hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone 
him." The following was then publicly declared as the 
law of God in cases of blasphemy : " Whosoever curseth 
his God, shall bear his sin. And he that blasphemeth 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 137 

the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, 
aud all the congregation shall certainly stone him." It 
was also further declared that, whether a native or a 
stranger, he that "blasphemeth the name of the Lord, 
shall be put to death." Lev. 24: 12—20. 

The infliction of such severe punishment on the 
blasphemer and the profane swearer, shows how heinous 
these sins are in the sight of God ! 

Besides, profane language is offensive to others. 
Persons of refined taste and culture will not endure it. 
Hence, a boy who uses profane language, will not be 
wanted in the employ of families of the better class. 
They will not risk the morals of their children for any 
services he may be able to render them. 

Govern your passions. Human nature is excitable. 
We have combustible elements in us, which, if ignited, 
occasionally break out in great fury. The truth of this 
is established by the angry words, quarrels, abuses and 
oppressions practised by the more passionate of men. 
In the moment of excitement they will do what they 
could not be induced to do for any consideration, when 
under the control of reason and conscience. 

The only way you can prevent these evils, is to keep 
reason on the throne. The moment your passions be- 
gin to rise, put a seal on your lips. Let not a word be 
uttered, until you shall have brought your passions un- 
10 



138 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

der complete control. This done, you may speak, and 
reason will dictate what you should say. 

Be industrious and guard against tardiness. Indus- 
try is the handmaid of plenty. It comes laden with the 
rich fruits of remunerative toil. Let it begin with the 
incoming of the early morning. The old German prov- 
erb, "Die Morgenstunde hat Gold im Munde," is quite 
significant. Early rising gives the man of toil the whole 
day for the accomplishment of his work. He need only 
begin early and labor moderately during the day, and 
his task will be easily performed. 

Late rising has a different tendency. The late riser 
must necessarily begin late. Frequently he is tardy. 
Employers may endure this awhile, but it will not be 
long before the man that enters the field or the shop 
after the regular time to commence work, will be dis- 
missed. Weeks of idleness may follow. He has no 
work, and consequently no pay. Want begins to press 
him. He now forms the desperate conclusion, "the 
world owes me a living, and I will have it" Industri- 
ous habits and perseverance will keep you from all these 
embarrassments. Whatever your employment may be, 
give it your time and attention. If you are attending 
school, pursue your studies faithfully. Devote all your 
time to your books, except what you need for recreation 
and healthful exercise. If you are engaged at work, 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 139 

give your attention and energies to it. By industrious 
habits you will make employment both agreeable and 
remunerative. 

Resist temptation. "An ounce of prevention," it is 
said, " is worth a pound of cure." This holds good in 
reference to bad habits, as well as to anything else. It 
is comparatively easy to avoid the formation of bad hab- 
its. It is much easier than after having practised, to 
quit them. For this reason I have been so persistent 
in urging the reader to guard against them. Decision 
and persevering resistance is all that is needed. When 
tempted to do wrong, or to begin anything that might 
end in bad habits, promptly resist. If any one would 
entice you to drink, do not consent. Better break friend- 
ship with your companions, than incur the risk of be- 
coming a tipler, and, perhaps, finally a drunkard. 
Should you be offered a lottery ticket, or invited to 
play cards, or to gamble in any way, unhesitatingly re- 
fuse. Show no disposition to yield to temptation, and 
you will soon find yourself out of all danger from these 
directions. 

Cultivate cheerfulness. Disappointments and defeat 
may now and then meet you. But do not let them over- 
spread your sky with dark clouds. Do not always put 
an unfavorable construction on the events that befall 
you. Clouds and rain are as necessary as sunshine. 



140 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

We need both for the production of a rich harvest. So 
with business and the common affairs of life. Constant 
success in what we undertake would not be the best for 
us. Defeat teaches us lessons of great importance. We 
should not, therefore, fret and complain as soon as things 
seem to take an unfavorable turn. What is needed at 
such times, is faith in God and submission to the dis- 
pensations of Providence. We need but remember the 
declaration of Paul, that " all things work together for 
good" to them that love the Lord. This will silence 
the murmurs and complaints of discontent. Instead of 
becoming despondent, therefore, at every little trouble 
that may meet you, take things patiently. Hope for the 
better, and move forward. Be cheerful, and everything 
around you will smile. It will give you energy to at- 
tend to your daily business or work with ease and pleas- 
ure. Your cheerfulness will enliven others. Your 
presence will not only be acceptable to them, but also 
encouraging. 

Undue forwardness should be avoided. Boys gain 
much in the estimation of others by observing proper 
rules of decorum and modesty. By this I do not mean 
that you should copy from or mimic others in full man- 
hood. Boys are boys, and not old men. Your conduct 
should be such as becomes boys of your age. Whilst 
you should not be afraid to speak, you should avoid all 
unbecoming forwardness in doing so. 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 141 

"Self-conceit." The boy or young man who forms 
too high an opinion of himself, becomes vain and boast- 
ful. He talks more about himself and his own import- 
ance, than anything else. He tries to pass himself off 
for more than he is. He, probably, esteems himself 
much more highly than others do. Hence they do not 
recognize him as of as much consequence as some oth- 
ers, whom he underrates. If the reader be inclined to 
indulge in such weakness and folly, he had better make 
every effort to overcome it. 

Want of due respect to older persons. There is, per- 
haps, not another civilized nation in which age is so 
little respected as in America. Whilst considerable at- 
tention is paid to the rules of etiquette in general, this 
department of "manners" seems to have been almost en- 
tirely overlooked. In this the church, no less than the 
outside world, falls far behind her duty. To show a 
high degree of respect for those of advanced age, is a 
duty which Christian parents should teach their child- 
ren. This should be done in childhood. It is one of 
the many things which, in general, relate to good man- 
ners. The Bible says : " Thou shalt rise up before the 
hoary head, and honor the face of the old man." Lev. 
19: 32. 

The duty here enjoined should be observed by all. 
It not only teaches that children should show due re- 



142 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

spect to the aged, but those of riper years should set the 
example to those who are younger than themselves. 

Above all, should you love, honor and obey your 
parents. This is your first duty. In the fifth com- 
mand, God says : " Honor thy father and thy mother." 
To the observance of this command is connected, im- 
pliedly, the promise of long life. Paul, referring to 
this command, says, (i children, obey your parents," and 
adds, this "is the first commandment with promise." 
It has pleased God to place parents in authority to rule 
over their children. He also requires children to be 
obedient to their parents. This obedience is limited to 
the period of their minority. The duty to love, honor 
and respect father and mother, however, is not limited. 
It extends to the end of life. Your respect and venera- 
tion for parents should increase from year to year, as you 
advance in life. 

Disrespect, under every form, should be carefully 
avoided. Insolent treatment is the greatest wrong you 
can do them. To disregard parents, to set aside their 
authority,, and despise their good counsel, indicates bad 
character and a hopeless future ! 



CHAPTER XIII. 



Avoid the Leaks that Drain the Purses of the Mul- 
titude. 



Through these leaks a large amount of the contents 
of the purse makes its escape. For the loss the owner 
sustains in this way, he has nothing to show except mis- 
fortune, a bad reputation, ill health and misery, under 
some form or other. This draining of the purse in 
some respects resembles the leak sprung in a vessel. At 
first it is small and causes no alarm. But gradually it 
enlarges, until it endangers the lives of all on board. 
The same is true of these leaks in the purse. Though 
at first insignificant, if continued, they will finally pro- 
duce the most serious financial disasters. The amount 
uselessly spent at first may be small, and this at consid- 
erable intervals. But the appetite increases. Thirst 
for a glass of beer, ale or other drink becomes stronger. 
The more frequently it is gratified, the more rapidly 
will it grow. Habits of intemperance gain strength 
rapidly. He who at first drinks one glass a week, will 
soon want one each day. Presently he will crave a 
drink, whenever he comes in sight of or can get it. 

A boy craves some little luxury he cannot have at 
home. The eating saloon keeps it for sale. He has 
the money in his pocket which will pay for it. The ar- 



144 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

tide craved by appetite is purchased. The appetite is 
satisfied. At the first opportunity that will offer itself, 
the same will be repeated. And it will not be very 
long before the boy will repeat his visits to the saloon, 
as often as appetite will dictate. A similar course is 
pursued in the use of the various kinds of drinks dis- 
posed of at drinking houses. By patronizing these es- 
tablishments, habits of eating and drinking will be 
formed, which are likely to end in intemperance and 
gluttony. 

In this way, a considerable number of boys, at an 
early age already, find an outlet for all the money that 
comes into their hands. By the time they become men 
and have families to support, their bad habits will have 
gained the mastery over them. Having become slaves to 
appetite, it requires much of their daily earnings to pay 
for the tobacco, liquor and other unnecessary articles, in 
which they indulge. Meanwhile their families, in 
many cases, want the common comforts and necessaries 
of life. 

To get a more definite and full idea of the general 
subject before us, it will be necessary to enter into de- 
tails. In doing this, we first direct your attention to the 
lower class of drinking saloons. These are the shops in 
which the tippler is converted into a confirmed drunk- 
ard. Here the drunkard becomes prepared for the com- 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 145 

mission of the worst crimes. Crime is followed by ar- 
rest, imprisonment and punishment. This class of 
drinking houses are so numerous and disorderly in our 
towns and cities, that they have become a nuisance and 
a source of constant annoyance and trouble to the more 
orderly citizens of the community. They are much 
more dangerous than the ordinary tavern and hotel. 
Kept in some cellar, where their visitors do not so 
readily come under the eye of the public as at the hotel, 
they not only attract the roughs and offscouring of so- 
ciety, but others also who wish to do their drinking in 
secret. Hotelkeepers find it to their interest not to sell 
liquor to disorderly drunkards, nor to minors, whilst in 
this class of saloons any one can get liquor who has 
money to pay for it. The young who cannot get it at 
the ordinary hotel, can get it here. Hence, the saloon is 
the more dangerous to boys and young men. Encour- 
aged by the example of others, they soon begin to drink, 
and gradually become fond of the intoxicating cup. 
They realize no immediate harm from the moderate use 
of liquor, and therefore apprehend no danger. The first 
drink creates thirst enough to suggest the second. The 
habit of drinking produces and increases an unnatural 
thirst. This thirst must be satisfied. Ked eyes, a 
bloated face, and an empty purse are the unavoidable 
consequenses. 



146 THE EOAD TO SUCCESS. 

The saloon keeper has no concern for the character 
and interests of the drunkard. What he wants is money. 
His most successful way to get it, is to manufacture 
drunkards. Those who begin to drink to excess in 
early life, generally become the worst victims of intem- 
perance. Thousands of them become poor, miserable 
outcasts of society. As the years come and go, their 
families are destitute, and suffer for want of the common 
comforts of life. Many of them would not only have 
enough to eat and to wear for comfort, but would also 
have homes to live in, and an abundance besides, had 
there been none of these drinking houses, where the 
money was spent which should have been applied for 
the necessaries of life. 

My young reader, have you visited these haunts of 
rudeness, vice and profanity? Have you commenced 
to spend your money for that which is not bread ? If 
you have, take friendly warning. At once withdraw 
from these places of wrong-doing. Heed the good counsel 
of parents and friends. They all unite in advising you to 
stay away. If you have been there, go not again. If 
you have thus far escaped this trap of the enemy, never 
allow yourself to be caught in it. Heed these kindly- 
meant suggestions, and you will never fill a drunkard's, 
grave. Avoid strong drink, and your purse, your char- 
acter and your life will be safe from this great source of 
danger. 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 147 

The leak sprung in the purse of the man who drinks 
to excess, is much greater and worse in its consequences 
than is generally supposed. The intemperate man not 
only spends much for the liquor he drinks, but whilst 
in a state of intoxication, sharpers get the scent of the 
money in his pocket, and easily relieve him of it. In 
this way the drunkard during a single spree may spend 
or be robbed to the amount of hundreds or even thou- 
sands of dollars. It is well known, too, that intoxicated 
men make bad bargains, commit violence, and involve 
themselves in heavy costs and severe losses. Intemper- 
ance is the cause of more evils than any other siugle 
vice. 

What has been said, leaves the other evils connected 
with intemperance untouched. I need not repeat or di- 
rect your attention to them. They are familiar to every- 
body. 

The advocates of moderate drinking go to consider- 
able trouble in their attempts to prove that they are sus- 
tained by the Bible in the position they occupy. As a 
fair and full discussion of the points involved in this 
question would require much more space than we can 
give here, we are constrained to pass them by without 
any direct consideration. 

Without hesitation, however, we take the position 
that it is perfectly safe and right in every sense, as well as 



148 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

consistent with the Bible, to abstain entirely from the use 
of all intoxicating drinks as a beverage. When pre- 
scribed by competent physicians, to be used as medicine, 
no sane person is likely to object to its use. What we 
affirm in the position just assumed, has reference to the 
use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage. That we are 
right, and sustained by the Bible in what we have af- 
firmed, needs no long array of argument. 

Daniel, the prophet, and three others, viz: Han- 
aniah, Mishael and Azariah, were taken captives with 
many others, by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. 
" And the king," having brought them to his own 
country, "appointed them a daily provision of the king's 
meat, and of the wine which he drank." However, Dan- 
iel refused "to defile himself" with the royal meat and 
wine, designed for him by the king. He requested a 
trial of ten days, to convince those placed in authority 
over him that the king's meat and wine were not as 
nourishing and healthy as pulse and water, the simplest 
and cheapest diet. Daniel's request was granted, and 
"at the end of ten days their countenances appeared 
fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did 
eat the portion of the king's meat." Dan. 1. 

In the case of Daniel and his three friends, the mat- 
ter was brought to a fair trial. The result was in favor 
of " pulse and water," against the use of royal wine and 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 149 

meat. This test was worth more than any assertions 
that could be made on either side. The logic of unmis- 
takable facts decided the case. Wine failed to do for 
Daniel and his three friends what water did. 

But we have another and still more striking exam- 
ple to produce. It is John the Baptist. He was a Na- 
zarite. He used no wine, nor strong drink of any kind. 
His meat was locusts and wild honey, a diet on which 
the poor }ived. Christ says of him, "he was a burning 
and shining light." He calls him "a prophet," "yea, 
more than a prophet." God had appointed him, and 
the prophets had predicted his coming as the forerun- 
ner of Christ, to prepare the way for His coming. It 
was to him Christ came to be baptized. These great 
honors were conferred on him by his divine master. 
And to complete the description of John, he added, 
"Verily I say unto you, among them that are born of 
women, there hath not arisen a greater than John the 
Baptist." 

By abstaining from the use of strong drink, you 
will not suffer any harm or disgrace. Daniel and his 
three friends and John the Baptist were great and good 
men. They had the approbation and favor of God. So 
long as you are in- such company, you can well afford to 
deny yourselves the use of all intoxicating drinks. 



150 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

The excessive use of tobacco is the cause of another 
leak in the purses of many. Were the amount spent 
by inveterate smokers and chewers in five years, put 
down in true figures, they would be astonished at it. 
Money spent in the use of tobacco, like the poor man's 
store bill, runs up to a large amount sooner than is gen- 
erally supposed. For his own satisfaction, let the 
chewer mark down what he pays for the article during 
one year. Then let him carefully figure out what it 
would cost him at compound interest for fifty years. 
This will enable him to form a pretty correct estimate 
of what a man in ordinary cases spends in this way dur- 
ing his lifetime. 

Let the same be done by the man who smokes to 
excess, and by him that both smokes and chews. Even 
the moderate use of tobacco is expensive. There are 
many men in the various departments of business and 
labor, who spend more money for tobacco and strong 
drink before they become sixty years old, than would 
be required to buy for themselves a good home in town 
or country. Some, who in extreme poverty find their 
way to the almshouse, and others in their old age, who 
come to want, would have enough of the common com- 
forts of life with the helping hand of good friends, had 
they not unnecessarily wasted their money for strong 
drink and tobacco. 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 151 

I have no undue prejudice against the use of tobacco 
in any way. To some, its moderate use may be benefi- 
cial. To others it is injurious. The number injured 
by its use no doubt is much larger than the number of 
those who are benefited. To those who do not use 
tobacco at all, smoking and chewing by others is, in 
most cases, more or less disagreeable. By delicate and 
refined ladies, the excessive chewer is dreaded. Hence 
they no longer furnish their parlors with spittoons, tak- 
ing for granted that visitors will know what is meant 
by it. They know that no gentleman will stain their 
carpets with tobacco. 

The principal object in directing your attention to 
the use of tobacco is to remind you of the fact that much 
money is uselessly spent in this way that should be ap- 
plied to other and better uses. 

For your amusement, my young readers, I will give 
you my own experience in the use of tobacco. When 
seventeen, I no longer considered myself a mere boy, 
but a youth, not far from having become a young man. 
My young neighbors and associates, with but few ex- 
ceptions, smoked, chewed, or did both. I did not wish 
to be left in the rear, and, therefore, concluded to follow 
their example. I bought a hundred cigars, and soon 
had one of them protruding from my mouth. To me 
this was rather a novel thing. I puffed away quite leis- 



152 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

urely until I began to realize that there were produced 
some unusual disturbances in my stomach and head. 
Presently the commotions produced became more than 
amusing to me. Quietly I took the smoking ember 
from my mouth and laid it away. Gradually the 
troubled elements calmed down, and I became my 
former self again. The whole thing was rather a sing- 
ular and novel experiment. It was a little like Eve's 
eating of the forbidden fruit. She only learned the re- 
sults of her unwise deed after she had committed it. I 
only learned the effects of tobacco on myself after I 
had indulged in its use. But like Solomon's drunkard, 
who said "I will seek it yet again," it was not long be- 
fore I repeated the attempt to smoke. The effect was 
precisely the same as before. On finding this to be 
the case, in good time I again laid my cigar away. 
Thus, with longer or shorter intervals, I repeated my 
attempts at smoking. But always with the same unfa- 
vorable results. I had not zeal and courage enough 
to smoke until completely sick. I knew a man must 
continue until thoroughly sick, if he would become 
able to use the weed with any satisfaction to himself. 
But I was not much in haste to do that. Still, occa- 
sionally I repeated my nibbling at the weed. So one 
day, as I was starting away on horseback, I tried it 
again. I rode on but a little while, until I began to 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 153 

feel the sickening effects of my folly. Presently some- 
thing within significantly whispered, " What a fool!" 
After a short interval it was repeated with great em- 
phasis, what a fool ! This was too much for me. I 
could not resist the moral power it carried with it. I 
stood convicted at the bar of conscience. I yielded to 
my convictions and the dictates of reason. In a mo- 
ment, the cigar in my mouth took a hasty flight from it, 
never to touch my lips again ! Thus I escaped the 
danger of becoming an inveterate smoker and waster of 
money. 

In a lecture to the young people of my charge, " On 
Little Things" I called their attention to the fact that 
much of the income of both young and old is spent for 
things they could as well or better do without. I no- 
ticed the unnecessary use of tobacco. I have made a 
calculation of what it would have cost me, had I smoked 
one cigar a day from the time I was seventeen to the 
age of sixty. At first it counted very slowly. Gradu- 
ally, however, the figures went up, until I became as- 
tonished at the result. The sum total at compound in- 
terest amounted to over eight hundred dollars. Do you 
hear that, boys? Eight hundred dollars is a nice sum 
of money. Many a man would feel quite rich, had he 
that amount. No more would be needed to buy a com- 
fortable home for some poor destitute family. 
11 



154 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

But are smokers generally satisfied with one cigar 
per day? Far from it. Many of them use from three 
to five, and even more, and these of the more costly 
kinds. Their expenses, of course, must be proportion- 
ately greater. 

Chewing is equally, if not more expensive. Chewers, 
in most cases, cannot well do without .constantly having 
a quid in their mouth. It would be interesting to know 
how much some of these spend annually for tobacco. 
The bread they eat, and the garments they wear, no 
doubt cost them less. 

In our towns and cities there are many among the 
poor and laboring classes who spend more for ale, beer 
and tobacco than they do for the support of their desti- 
tute, suffering families. Some of them are objects of 
charity, receiving aid from benevolent societies. Were 
it not for the help they get from these, they would live 
much of their time on the borders of starvation ! They 
commenced the use of tobacco and strong drink when 
young. Without being able to give any good reason 
for it, they have continued until the habit has gained the 
mastery over them. They have become slaves to the 
weed and the intoxicating bowl. Rather than quit their 
use, they will suffer their wives and children to come 
to want. 



A BOOK FOE BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 155 

The wisest course for the young is to abstain alto- 
gether from the use of both tobacco and all intoxicating 
drinks. This you can easily do, and be much the bet- 
ter for it. You will save your money, avoid becoming 
offensive to others, and escape the danger of both moral 
and financial ruin. If you have commenced the use of 
either, break off at once, before the habit becomes mas- 
ter of you. Whether rich or poor, you cannot afford to 
acquire such dangerous and expensive habits. 

A LITTLE BOY'S REASONS* 
Why should I learn to smoke and chew? 

No reasons good I know, 
It helps not body, heart or soul ; 

And is it manly ? No ! 

Why should I not ? It injures health, 

' Tis filthy, leads to sin, 
Costs money, time and intellect ; 

No, No ! I'll not begin. 

One of the most dangerous and demoralizing as 
well as expensive of bad habits is gambling. Under 
some of the forms in which it is practiced, it seems to 
many quite excusable. They at first apprehend no 
great evils from it. The game is played through with 
cheerful merriment. At the end comes the treat. This 
is quite endurable, too. The final consequences are not 
considered. The pleasure of the game and the drink, 
so agreeable to the taste, is all that is thought of now. 
*From Youths' Temperance Banner. 



156 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

Beginners, whilst passing through these preliminary 
steps, do not seem to know that after these comes the 
harder part of their future lives. Gradually some of 
them become confirmed drinkers. With intemperance 
come ruined fortunes, profanity, affliction and distress 
in the family. Now and then an expert in the business 
will succeed. The number of successful gamblers, how- 
ever, in the long run is not large. The dangers to 
which they are exposed, and the low estimate in which 
they are held in the community, put them into an un- 
enviable position. 

In some cases, the first lessons at gambling are 
taken by boys at church fairs. Again it is at the shoot- 
ing match, billiard table, or by the purchase of a lottery 
ticket. In other cases betting at horse races, on elec- 
tions, <fec, is the commencement of this dangerous prac- 
tice. 

It does not make much difference where or under 
what form it is commenced, the tendency is the same. 
If the game is won, it cheers and stimulates the gambler 
to repeat it. If it be lost, the hope is entertained that 
the next effort will be more successful. Hence, no mat- 
ter whether successful or not, at the first attempt it will 
prepare the way for and stimulate to the second. The 
motive to continue, is thus strengthened with each game. 
The further the gambler proceeds, the more enticing 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 157 

and bewitching his pursuit becomes, until driven to 
desperation by losses, or elated with successes, there re- 
mains no hope that he will ever be brought back to an 
honest way of making a living. 

Gambling is not only an evil in itself. It has other 
dangerous vices connected with it. These, working to- 
gether as elements of evil, destroy character, bring into 
bad reputation, consume money, and end in shame and 
misery. 

My young friends, keep hands off. Do not allow 
yourselves to engage in this dangerous and enticing 
practice. Never indulge in any game of hazard. A 
single attempt may end in temptation, and involve you 
in considerable trouble. 

Be systematic in the management of your finances. 
Every boy in childhood already becomes the possessor 
of at least some money. It comes in small amounts, 
perhaps, but should not, therefore, be the less carefully 
saved. Enter into account with one of your pa- 
rents or some other suitable person, to whom you can 
give all the money that comes into your hands. Make 
a settlement on each New Year's day. At this settle- 
ment, add interest on the note to the principal, and to the 
sum the amount of what was handed over since the last 
settlement. Thus let the account be run from year to 
year, and your money will be safe. You will not be 



158 THE EOAD TO SUCCESS. 

tempted to spend the dimes as fast as they come into your 
hands, nor be without money at the end of the year. In 
this savings bank it will gradually increase. Besides, 
this system of managing your finances will prepare you 
to keep accounts on a more extensive scale. In connec- 
tion with this, make it a point annually to save some- 
thing of your earnings, above your expenditures. What 
you accumulate now, at this early age, is of more value 
than money saved or earned at a more advanced age. 
One dollar put on interest or used in successful specula- 
tion from the days of boyhood to the age of sixty, will 
then be worth from three to five dollars. This is a con- 
sideration of some importance. 

Try to adapt yourselves to the circumstances under 
which you are placed. They may not, in every respect, 
be agreeable to you. This you may see and realize. 
But do not act like the boy who, having struck his toe 
against a rock, turned back to kick it into the sea. In 
following his example, you would only increase your 
troubles. You should remember, the world and things 
in it were not made for the convenience of the indi- 
vidual, but for the whole race of mankind. 

Wisdom dictates that we take things as God has 
made and given them to us, and to turn them to the 
best uses we can. Do not, therefore, fall out with your 
environments. The observance of these suggestions 
will aid you in getting a fair start in life. 



A BOOK FOE BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 159 

In the preceding chapters I insisted on the adop- 
tion of a close economy. In various ways I pointed 
out to you the importance of taking proper care of the 
money that might come into your possession. I also 
directed your attention to some of the ways in which 
the young are tempted to spend their money without 
getting an equivalent for it. The observance of the 
hints given in this direction will be of great advantage 
to you. It will not only enable you to make your way 
successfully, but you will always have enough on hand 
to secure to you all the pleasures and luxuries of a tem- 
perate life. There are two extremes against which you 
should guard. The one is that miserable prodigality 
which soon exhausts a man's means and leaves him poor 
and miserable. The other is that adopted by the miser, 
who, rather than spend a little occasionally for justifi- 
able pleasure and enjoyment, hoards closely all he can 
get. The avaricious man is as unwise as the wasteful 
spendthrift. The former has the means with which to 
make life enjoyable and pleasant. His love of money, 
however, prompts him to deny himself the most enjoy- 
able pleasures and luxuries of life. The latter, in the 
use of his money, runs to excesses, which cannot fail to 
be injurious. A proper medium between these ex- 
tremes will secure the greatest amount of enjoyment 
without injury to purse or health. 



160 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

The productions of the soil and the delicious fruits 
of the tree were designed for our use and full enjoy- 
ment. The common necessaries of life are served for 
our use at ordinary meals. These furnish the nutriment 
we need to invigorate and strengthen the body for the 
business and toils of every day life. Besides these there 
are rare dainties we crave and very much enjoy as lux- 
uries. As soon, however, as we use these too frequently, 
they will cease to be luxuries. Indeed, the value of the 
things we eat and drink, and the enjoyment we realize 
from their use, depends very much on the manner in 
which we use them. If we use them too frequently, 
and in too large quantity, we soon cease to enjoy them. 
If we do not use them at all, they can afford us no pleas- 
ure. Hence, neither the miser nor the profligate fully 
enjoys the products of nature. He only who wisely 
selects and temperately uses what nature provides for 
his use, can enjoy the same to their full extent. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



The Indolent Boy, 



Indolence is sometimes constitutional, and forms the 
background of the lazy man's nature. It is the source 
of many and great evils. It is the soil which produces 
inactivity, worth lessness, stupidity, poverty and want. 
The indolent man is a drone. He will not work. A 
familiar proverb among the Germans says : "Muessig- 
gang ist alter Laster AnjangP Idleness is the hot-bed 
of all vices. It gives time to plan and furnishes op- 
portunities to execute mischief, vice and crime. An in- 
dustrious man may occasionally be idle, because he can- 
not get anything to do. But this is not the reason why 
the indolent man is idle. He carefully avoids work. 
He may be surrounded with it, pressing him on every 
side. Yet he will evade it and try to get out of its way, 
or do only what absolute necessity compels him to do. 
If he be poor and compelled to support himself by his 
own exertions, his case becomes pitiable indeed ! For 
labor is a sore affliction and a galling yoke to him. If 
now and then, from stern necessity, he undertakes to do 
anything, he is unsuccessful, because too lazy duly to 
exert himself. In fact, he is of little account, put him 
where you will. This is precisely the case with the in- 
dolent boy. All that has been said of the indolent man 



162 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

will apply with equal force to him. Put him to work, 
and in a short time he will leave it, or turn his atten- 
tion to what is passing around him. He needs constant 
prompting, or he will forget his work altogether. Send 
him to the field, and it will take him a long while to 
get there. On his arrival, he takes a full survey of his 
task before he touches his work. By the time he is 
ready to begin, he hears the report of a gun. He now 
hastens to the top of the hill, to see the sportsman. 
Having arrived at the spot, he gazes at the surrounding 
scenery. Every object in sight receives his attention, 
except his work. At length his curiosity is satisfied, 
and he again thinks of his work. He returns to it. 
But he has scarcely commenced, before something else 
attracts his attention. Thus the day passes, and it is 
difficult at its close to see what has been done. Indeed, 
he is so unreliable that it is useless to put him at any- 
thing. Get him a situation, no matter where or at what 
employment, and he will not keep it long. Put him 
into the shop to learn a trade, and before his time is 
half up, he will be at home. Put him behind the 
counter, or into some business establishment, and it 
will soon be seen that he is not at the right place. 
Either his situation will be declared too hard, too con- 
fining, or he will demand higher wages. He has dis- 
covered that he is at the wrong place, or is not duly 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 163 

paid for the services he has rendered. Send him to 
school with the hope that he will become qualified for 
the learned professions, or for successful teaching, and 
he will not study. It is too tedious for him to apply 
himself to books. His old complaint cleaves to him. 
Go where he will, and do what he may, idleness follows 
him. Where can he be used ? What shall be done 
with him ? These questions it is difficult to answer. 
The farmer cannot use him on the farm. The merchant 
cannot use him in any department of his business. The 
mechanic cannot make a good workman out of him. 
He cannot be used as an errand boy, for, when sent after 
anything, no one can tell with any certainty when he 
will return. He is a patient of very peculiar disease, 
and must receive peculiar treatment. The disease from 
which he suffers is constitutional. Hence it is exceed- 
ingly difficult to find an efficient remedy. All the 
patent medicines in the world, I fear, will not cure him. 
They are not penetrating enough to reach the seat of 
his disease. The "soothing syrup" of moral suasion and 
parental love is too mild. They produce no more effect 
on him than a drop of water does on a rock. The "hop 
bitters" of Solomon's rod, although it makes him hop 
and sing a little sometimes, has made but little improve- 
ment in him. All other remedies that have been tried, 
have failed to bring about an effectual cure. Physicians 



164 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

say, "desperate diseases require desperate remedies." 
In some cases even arsenic is resorted to as a last remedy 
to save the life of the patient. The indolent boy's case 
being a desperate one, we know of no other way but to 
prescribe accordingly. 



CHAPTER XV. 



Late Hours at Night. 

Avoid being out at late hours. No boy nor young 
man, who desires the respect and confidence of the bet- 
ter part of the community, can consent to be out on the 
streets or at places where the more loose and worthless 
gather to spend their evenings. After the day's work 
has been done and business closed, short calls and other 
things claiming attention, may be looked after with 
propriety. This done, not the streets nor any other 
places to which persons of questionable character and 
bad habits resort, but home is the place where you 
should be. The remainder of the night you need for 
rest and recuperating sleep. Any part of it spend in 
any other way, is the infliction of a wrong upon your- 
selves. The body must not be deprived of any of the 
sleep necessary for its restoration to full vigor. The 
mind also must have the repose it needs to qualify it for 
the work of the coming day. You should not therefore, 
deprive yourselves of any of the rest and sleep you need 
to keep both body and mind in a strong and healthy 
condition. 

Besides, late hours carry in them a moral malaria 
that is very dangerous to all that come in contact with it. 
Its blighting effects on many who are making their way 



166 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

down to shame and misery, should be a warning to 
others. Some of them, who in their early life were re- 
garded as promising well for the future, have become 
outlaws and miserable .wretches, through their night 
ramblings, exposures and temptations. Christ says of 
the wicked, they love darkness rather than the light, be- 
cause their deeds are evil. Evil deeds that cannot be 
done by day without detection, are freely indulged in 
behind the curtain of night. Vice and crime revel in 
the darkness. When the more respectable and indus- 
trious have finished their day's work, or have closed 
their business houses, and are at home with their fami- 
lies where they should be, those who live in the dregs of 
a low, vicious life, bearing the marks of vice and crime 
on them, are abroad and at work. The night is their 
time and opportunity. Respectable persons, therefore, 
will not risk their reputation by being out late at night, 
unless absolutely necessary. They spend the day at 
work or business ; the night in rest and sleep. When 
this order, designed for our good, is perverted, evil re- 
sults will and must follow. 

The practice of spending the night to late hours at 
places of disorder and bad repute, produces the most 
serious suspicions of vice and criminal conduct in the 
minds of observers. In the estimation of many, such 
persons are regarded as wearing soiled garments. They 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 167 

will be avoided by the more respectable in every com- 
munity. 

The unfortunate creatures that have become regular 
supporters of vice and crime by their regular visits to 
these places of evil, in most cases were first attracted by 
curiosity, or taken there by associates. They may have 
felt a little nervous and strange for a few times, but 
gradually this wore away, and they began to feel at 
home in the midst of cursing, gambling, drinking and 
other vices. 

In some cases the boy or young man for the first 
time remained out to midnight at the club room. At 
his return, on being questioned as to why he stayed out 
so late, some plausible excuse was offered to help him 
out of the difficulty. Parents and friends may not ap- 
prehend any serious results from an occasional late re- 
turn. Hence, in many cases the bad practice is not 
checked until it has become a habit hard to break. 

Those who habitually visit the haunts of vice and 
crime, in all cases realized more or less embarrassment 
at their first visit to these places. At first they merely 
looked on while the games were played and the prizes 
won. They felt rather uncomfortable, when they 
thought of parents and friends. Gradually, however, 
the influence of those around them, the power of bad ex- 
ample aud the tendency of our depraved nature pre- 
ponderated on the side of evil. Soon they began to 



168 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

take part in the game. This done, drinking and pro- 
fanity followed, and they learned to stay at these haunts 
of vice to a still later hour, until the night itself had 
become too short for the accomplishment of their pur- 



Take courage, boys, do not stumble, 
Though the path be dark as night ; 

There's a star to guide the humble, 
"Trust in God and do the right." 

Though the road be long and dreary, 

And the goal be out of sight, 
Foot it bravely, strong or weary, 

"Trust in God and do the right." 

Perish policy and cunning, 

Perish all that fears the light ; 
Whether losing, whether winning, 

" Trust in God and do the right." 

Fly all forms of guilty passion, 
Fiends can look like angels bright ; 

Heed no custom, school or fashion, 
"Trust in God and do the right." 

Some will hate you, some will love you ; 

Some will flatter, some will slight ; 
Cease from man and look above you, 

"Trust in God and do the right." 

Simple rule and surest guiding, 

Inward peace and shining light, 
Star upon our path abiding, 

"Trust in God and do the right."* 

Let me again call your attention to the future. In 
its development, events of the greatest importance will 

*Norman McLeod, with several slight verbal changes to 
adapt it to our subject. 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 169 

take place. All the high offices of trust in church and 
state, and all the places of responsibility and usefulness, 
in their order and turn, will become vacant. The men 
who now fill them, will be removed by death. Who 
shall succeed them ? Who will fill the offices and places 
of power now filled by them ? The school boys and 
young men of to-day. You will be their successors. 
The time when this will take place, is not very far dis- 
tant. It is coming more rapidly than you may think 
or imagine. Your numbers, however, far exceed the 
positions occupied by those who rule the nation and fill 
the places of high distinction. Hence, you will not all 
succeed in getting situations of honor and profit. The 
greater number may find it necessary to be satisfied with 
the humbler and more retired stations in life. Whether 
you shall reach prominent and remunerative places or 
not, will depend very much on your own efforts. The 
principal consideration will be your personal qualifica- 
tions and fitness for the desired position. These quali- 
fications and this fitness cannot be picked up on the 
highway, nor can they be purchased with money. They 
must be acquired by study, industry and the proper use 
of the resources at your command. 

You may not have spent much thought on this sub- 
ject. Yet it deserves your attention. You should al- 
ready ask the question, who of our number will succeed 
12 



170 THE EOAD TO SUCCESS. 

and who fail in our efforts to rise and become useful ? 
No inspiration from heaven is needed to answer this 
question. Surely, not the boy who has not ambition 
enough to keep himself clean and tidy in personal ap- 
pearance. Not the boy who shuns books, hates school, 
loves idleness and steals his neighbor's fruit. Not the 
young man who can rob the drawers of his master, or 
lie and deceive. These are not the lads that will become 
known in the future as great and good men. The alms- 
house, the jail, the penitentiary, and, in some cases, the 
gallows, are the places of distinction they are most likely 
to reach in the end. 

Among the readers of this little book, however, I 
trust there are many who will become known and be 
heard of in the future. Such know the value of books, 
the importance of study and the value of the passing 
hour. You know that success depends in a great meas- 
ure on manly, earnest and persevering effort Fair 
dealing, a manly, Christian deportment, in addition to 
the preceding, will bring you successfully on your way, 
and, perhaps, secure to you the highest honors a nation 
can confer. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



Success Depends on Vigorous, Persevering, Well- 
Directed Efforts. 



Whether you will succeed in the accomplishment of 
your mission in life, will depend mostly on the course 
of conduct you shall pursue. If you give due attention 
to the preservation of your health, observe rules of order 
and propriety, do what is right, and use the means at 
your command for your improvement and advantage, 
you will not live in vain, nor die in disgrace. On the 
contrary, you will make your way through the world in 
an honest, upright manner, and be a help to those 
around you. You may not become a millionaire, nor 
figure among the ablest statesmen and scholars of the 
age, yet you will have the reputation of being worthy 
citizens. You may not have conferred on you any 
titles of distinction, but as an intelligent citizen you 
may serve your country with honor and ability. Posi- 
tive assertions like the preceding are sometimes objected 
to as being too strong. The affirmation that persistent, 
well-directed effort will succeed, is sometimes denied. 
It is said by some that there are many who do not pos- 
sess the talents necessary for the accumulation of wealth 
and the accomplishment of great deeds. The difficulty, 
we are told, is not in any want of will or effort to do 



172 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

what others have accomplished, but in a deficiency of 
natural gifts or talents. In proof of this, we are re- 
minded that the mau of one talent cannot accomplish 
as much as the one to whom were given three or five. 
Very true. But, whilst we admit this, we must not un- 
dervalue nor bury the one talent God has given us. 
The mistake with many who assume that they have but 
one talent, is the fact that they undervalue that talent 
and bury it. Having buried it, they offer groundless ex- 
cuses to justify their indifference and slothfulness. 
Those who commit this error, form too low an estimate 
of their own abilities, and assume that their surround- 
ings contain in them difficulties too great for them with 
their limited capacities to overcome. The result is a 
tame submission to what are regarded as insurmountable, 
difficulties. An unjustifiable slothfulness and inactivity 
follow. With this millstone around their necks, they 
idle away their days. and years, without accomplishing 
anything worthy of their God-given gifts. Opportuni- 
ties to do good, come and go by, but are not improved. 
They imagine the only hope left them, is to wait quietly 
for the rising tide, or passing current of events. If this 
fail to lift them up and bear them along to prosperity, 
they conclude that all is lost. They tamely submit to 
what they imagine to be " unalterable decisions of fate." 
They now sit down without courage or heart, to under- 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 173 

take anything assuming, that the world has no places for 
thein, in which they may become useful. Solomon's de- 
scription of the slothful man, will apply with great force 
to them. " Their hands refuse to labor. They covet 
greedily all the day long." They will not plow by rea- 
son of the cold. Therefore shall they beg in harvest 
and have nothing. They have no harvest to gather 
when the time for reaping comes, not because the earth 
has become unproductive, but because they did not 
plow nor sow. When they should have been at work 
preparing their ground and sowing their seed, they 
passed the time in idleness or profitless pursuits. This 
is one of the reasons why so many strong and able- 
bodied men in our day fail. They have no desire to 
work. By their slothfuJness they get out of employ- 
ment, grow poor, and finally come to absolute want. 
This being the cause of their troubles, need they wonder 
that but little sympathy is felt for them? Their pov- 
erty and want are the results of bad management, indo- 
lence and downright worth lessness. Had they been 
brought up to habits of industry, had they improved 
their time and talents when young, and had they ap- 
plied themselves in the proper improvement of their 
opportunities, they might have succeeded as well as 
others, who have made a comfortable living, and be- 
sides have laid up for the future. These facts deserve 



174 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

the careful consideration of the young. You must not 
expect the great problems of human life to solve them- 
selves. Their solution requires human effort. So the 
factors that enter into the future history of your life, 
cannot make that life honorable and useful, without a 
proper application of the powers and energies you pos- 
sess. Whether these powers will be duly developed 
and wisely applied, depends much on your early train- 
ing and education. Still more, however, afterward de- 
pends on yourselves. No matter how well trained and 
educated you may be, unless you possess the natural force 
of character necessary to bring into active exercise the 
native powers within you, you will never become prom- 
inent nor distinguished. The greatness worthy of your 
highest ambitions, has been attained by men of ordinary 
abilities. Hence we conclude that what they have ac- 
complished, may also be accomplished by you. This 
should encourage and stimulate you to faithful and per- 
severing effort. 

Perseverance is necessary to bring to a successful 
issue anything yon may undertake. You must not only 
begin the work or business before you, but apply your- 
self vigorously, until you shall have finished it. To 
slacken your efforts and stop when but half done with 
what you have undertaken, is certain defeat. Nay, it 
is worse. The labor and time thus applied are lost. 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 175 

You have nothing for them, except the mortifying 
recollection of your losses and defeat. Besides, it has 
a tendency to awaken feelings of despondency and ciis- 
trust in yourself and your abilities. Thus weakened, 
you will be tempted to undervalue and dismiss oppor- 
tunities, which, if undertaken and wisely managed, 
would be remunerative. You should not, therefore, 
let your courage fail. Better accomplish a little, than 
nothing. Better work for small pay than to have no 
pay at all. This, to many, may seem a hard way to 
become successful. They see no encouragement in it. 
Yet, to many of the most successful business men this 
ordeal and manner of beginning their course, was the 
foundation of future success. The native energies and 
latent powers within them, were thus called out in 
manly, energetic efforts, which enabled them to gather 
in the rich harvest about them. 

A man's success depends largely on his judgment. 
Some men are very deficient here, and prove to embark 
in enterprises which can not succeed. In such cases a 
mistake must lead to failure. To persevere in a forlorn 
or hopeless cause, is as unfortunate as it is advantageous 
to push forward a good enterprise. The traveler who 
takes the wrong road, by continuing on it, will never 
get to his destination. The only remedy for him is, to 
stop at once and retrace his steps. So with you. If 



176 THE KOAD TO SUCCESS. 

you have undertaken any enterprise which you cannot 
bring to a successful issue, the sooner you stop, the bet- 
ter. To persevere in it after you see that you cannot 
succeed, is the height of folly. 

The costs and risks connected with what you in- 
tend to undertake, should first be carefully considered. 
It is here where the inexperienced and superficial make 
the blunders which bring so many to disappointment 
and grief ! 



CHAPTER XVII. 



Labor and Capital. 



The cares and toils of life are the lot of everyone. 
Sin has brought them into the world. "Sin is the 
transgression of the law." God had said unto Adam, 
"of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou 
shalt not eat." This command not to eat, was God's 
law to Adam. He should have obeyed that law. But 
he did not. He ate of the forbidden fruit. In so do- 
ing he became guilty of transgressing the divine law. 
For this act of disobedience God called him to an ac- 
count. Being guilty, sentence was passed on him. A 
part of that sentence is contained in these words : "In 
the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou re- 
turn unto the ground." No matter how much the enemies 
of the Bible may cavil at and criticise this Scripture, 
the history of mankind fully corresponds with this dec- 
laration, and constantly demonstrates its truth. Meet 
man wherever you may, even under the most favorable 
circumstances, and you will find him subjected to cares, 
toils and hardships, under some form or other. The 
wealth of the opulent, the ease and leisure of the more 
independent and otherwise fortunate, cannot place them 
beyond the reach of the above sentence. It took im- 
mediate effect on Adam and Eve; has been experienced 



178 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

and will be by all their descendents to the eod of time. 
It is therefore entirely useless for us to complain, be- 
cause, if we would enjoy the common comforts and 
blessings of life, we must labor to secure them. 

In their efforts to. secure these and to amass wealth, 
some succeed much better than others. The rich have 
the capital necessary to enter upon business enterprises, 
such as the building of railroads, the opening of large 
mercantile houses, shops, &c, &c. The poorer and 
middle classes are needed as laborers, clerks, <fcc, in 
these business establishments. However, capitalists are 
a great help to those dependent on their own toils and 
exertions to secure a comfortable living. From this it 
is seen that there exists a mutual dependence between 
the laborer and the capitalist. The former needs the 
capitalist to give him employment. The latter needs 
the former, to carry forward and make his business a 
success. The one cannot succeed without the other. 
Their relations, therefore, are of such a nature that the 
interests and success of the one are dependent on the 
interests and success of the other. If the capitalist man- 
ages his business well, he will furnish employment for 
many hands. If the laborers he employs work well, so 
as to give an equivalent for the wages they get, leaving 
the employer a just margin for the capital invested in 
his business, including unavoidable risks, they will find 



A. BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 179 

employment, and not only be sure of their wages, but able 
to make their way in an honest, honorable and success- 
ful manner. There should, therefore, be no conflict be- 
tween capital and labor, the capitalist and laborer. 

The controversy between capital and labor now so 
common in every direction, and so detrimental to the 
interests of both, was unknown half a century ago. 
Then the relations existing between the employer and 
the employee were of the" most friendly and agreeable 
character. The former found it most agreeable and to 
his interest to be friendly and to show favors to the 
latter. The good will of the latter thus secured, caused 
him to exert himself to do a full day's work, and to do 
his work well. Thus the interests of both were ad- 
vanced.* 

Unfortunately a very different state of things exists 
now. In too many cases individual capitalists and 
incorporated companies take all they can get out of 
the laborer. The laborer, brought under a pressure 
too severe and hard, becomes dissatisfied, loses all inter- 
est in the success of his master's business, does his work 
badly and brings on himself the ill will of his employer. 
The misgivings thus produced have been followed by 
the organization of labor " unions" of different orders, 
and these by extensive strikes. These strikes have in- 
volved the parties concerned in the loss of millions of 



180 THE EOAD TO SUCCESS. 

dollars ! This sacrifice of money has not only been a 
source of annoyance to some, but the cause of untold 
suffering to the families of the strikers! Disorders, 
violence, riots and the destruction of life and property 
have been connected, in a number of cases, with the 
strikes that have taken place. 

Without entering into any further details of the evils 
connected with the controversy between capital and la- 
bor, we assume that no remedy will be found for these 
evils, until each party they involve will learn duly to 
respect each other's interests. Mutual ill will, strikes, 
and the riots and destruction of property connected with 
them, can have no other effect than to increase the mis- 
fortunes of this unhappy controversy. Mutual good 
will, produced by a desire to do justice, will cure selfish- 
ness, and bring about an amicable adjustment of present 
controversies and troubles between capital and labor. 

In view of the preceding, my advice to such as de- 
sire a peaceful and successful life, is to do justice to 
your neighbor, as well as to yourself. If you ever be- 
come capitalists, do justice to those you employ. Do 
not oppress them by becoming a hard taskmaster to 
make a millionaire out of yourself. Be satisfied with 
the profits you can make, without doing unjustice to the 
men that labor for you. It will be to your honor and 
best interests to pay those in your employ just wages, 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 181 

whether demanded or not. The oppression of the poor 
and the laboring man is a crying sin. God will avenge 
the oppressed. 

If a laborer, under the necessity of earning your 
bread by the industry of your own hands, do not mur- 
mur, nor become discouraged. Your lot may seem to 
be a hard one. Yet it is easier than that of many others. 
Take things as they are and make the best out of them. 
When employed to work for your neighbor, be not satis- 
fied without earning the wages promised you. Show 
yourself a good workman, and you will gain the good 
will of your employer, and constant work. 

This is not slavery. It is not an unwilling servi- 
tude. It is only turning the situation of the industri- 
ous man to good account. It is taking advantage of 
the unavoidable circumstances under which the laboring 
classes are placed. It does not take from them their 
liberties. They are freemen in the best sense of the 
term. 

We are not prepared to affirm that this is true of 
those who have organized themselves into labor " Unions" 
and "Associations," for their protection against the 
hand of oppression. That they have grievances to com- 
plain of, no one doubts. At the same time it is a ques- 
tion, whether the proposed remedy is not a greater evil 
than the grievances from which it is to deliver [them. 



182 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

Organized labor, it is supposed, would give the laboring 
classes sufficient influence and power to compel capital- 
ists, corporations, and employers in general, to yield to 
the claims of the laboring classes. This conception of 
organized effort brought to bear on capitalists, inspired 
its advocates with full confidence of success. They 
were quite certain that by this method relief could be 
obtained from the grievances they suffered. It was be- 
lieved that capitalists and corporations could be made to 
feel their dependence on the laboring classes to such an 
extent as to bring them to such terms as might from 
time to time be demanded. It was taken for granted 
that capitalists, rather than see their shops and business 
houses closed at a great pecuniary loss, would pay more 
wages. It was confidently believed that if compelled to 
choose between to evils, capitalists, like others, would 
choose the lesser. The theory seemed very plausible. 
It was adopted and has been tried. In its practical 
working, however, it has not been as successful as has 
been expected. It has become involved in expenditures, 
losses and complications that have been very embarrass- 
ing. Employers, capitalists and corporations thus far 
have shown a degree of independence and strength suf- 
ficient to weaken and seriously embarrass the laboring 
classes in their organized state. The strikes, by which 
they had hoped to bring their employers to the terms 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 183 

they demanded, were not always successful. They were 
strikes, indeed, but struck the striker with more effect 
than those who were struck at. They have been two- 
edged swords which have cut deeper into the hands of 
those that held them, than they did into the enemy thev 
were intended to slay. 

Besides, the organization of the laboring classes into 
unions of different names, has involved them in very 
great expenditures. Organized bodies, to exist at all, 
must have law and order, offices and officeholders, 
through whom to transact their business. The officers 
of these bodies, according to their own statements, only 
too often possess the weaknesses of capitalists and em- 
ployers who take all they can get They not only want 
pay, but receive large salaries, and are very careful to 
look after the interests of number one. These salaries 
and the expenses necessarily connected with the conven- 
tions called from time to time, come from the earnings 
of the laborer. The sums required for these purposes, 
and the failure of accomplishing what had been ex- 
pected by the labor unions and associations, have pro- 
duced great dissatisfaction among their members, and 
bitter discord among some of the officials. From these 
developments it has become evident that the organiza- 
tions into which the laboring classes have gone, have 
thus far failed to be entirely satisfactory. Whether 



184 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

they will ever succeed in accomplishing the ends aimed 
at, is doubtful. 

Whilst we believe the laboring classes have received 
far more injury than good through the strikes to which 
they have resorted, we do not condemn "strikes" of 
every kind. The strikes justifiable and really advan- 
tageous, are those made by the hand of honest industry. 
Solomon says "whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do 
with thy might." Those who obey this injunction, will 
succeed in their efforts. The many examples given in 
other chapters, in proof of this, should be sufficient to 
convince us as to what policy we must adopt, if labor 
and well-directed effort shall succeed. It is not the 
joining of labor unions and the bringing about of strikes 
that will benefit us, but a regular application of our 
energies to business or labor, a wise economy in the out- 
lay of the wages earned, and a sober, temperate life. 

Labor is not a disgrace. It is honorable. It is the 
way to prosperity and true greatness. It secures the 
money and bread the laborer needs for the support of 
himself and family. It keeps the howling wolf at a 
safe distance. It secures the means necessary for a use- 
ful life. The process of earning a living and laying up 
for the future by manual labor is gradual, and when 
compared with the success of business men seems very 
slow. Yet, in some respects, it is preferable to the life 
of those who dash ahead and risk their all in a single 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 185 

business transaction. The life of such is a life of ex- 
citement and unrest. The laborer has contentment, en- 
joys a quiet security against want, and possesses all he 
needs to make life a joy and a delight ! 

The developments of the controversy between labor 
and capital from present indications, will sooner or later 
extensively enter the arena of politics, and become a 
cause of embarrassment to the people, as well as a source 
of discord which may endanger the national govern- 
ment itself. It involves in it some of the features of 
the slave question of former times. The slave trade and 
slave labor were confined to the Southern States. In 
some of its features the labor question of to-day differs 
altogether from that. The laboring classes, who de- 
mand at the hands of their employers and from the 
government a more important recognition as factors in 
the production of our national wealth and greatness, are 
fouud all over the country. They are not confined to 
the North or the South ; not to the East or the West. 
They are interwoven with society, esteemed and re- 
spected as citizens. There is not a State or territory, 
not a city or town, where they are not at work in mak- 
ing improvements, sustaining capitalists and incorpor- 
ated companies with the labor of their hands. The 
commerce of the nation is principally carried forward 
by their exertions. Our railroads, mines, and every 
13 



186 THE EOAD TO SUCCESS. 

other industry of our great nation are built and worked 
by them. Capitalists and incorporated companies are 
few in number when compared with the laboring classes. 
And since without labor there would be no capital, 
capitalists should not oppress the laborer, nor withhold 
from him the wages due him. 

Labor organizations, although comparatively new 
and agitated by internal troubles, have, notwithstanding 
these, become a great power. Their strength numeri- 
cally is very significant. It will tell, if concentrated on 
any specific object, at the ballot box. And should the 
many Orders of these secret organizations unite in a 
common rebellion, it would not be a John Brown strike. 
Numerous at every important place of the entire country, 
it would not be difficult for them to seize the govern- 
ment arsenals, and use them successfully in attempts at 
its overthrow. Viewed in this light, the labor troubles 
now agitating our country, may possibly terminate in 
results more serious and injurious than did slavery and 
the Rebellion that grew out of it. Put the most favor- 
able construction we can on these labor troubles, and the 
outlook is not any too favorable. The bitter antagon- 
ism, on the part of the laboring classes against capital- 
ists of every description, and the effects on capitalists, is 
an omen of evil which promises no good to the country. 
What renders the movements of organized labor the 
more dangerous, is the fact that many members of the 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 187 

secret organizations of the laboring classes are foreign- 
ers who have brought with them and still cherish the 
doctrines of the Socialists, Nihilists and Anarchists of 
Europe. In the organizations to which they belong, 
they have influence and a vote, which are not with- 
out significance. Hence this feature should not be 
ignored in the estimate we form of the laboring classes, 
and the controversy between them and capitalists. In 
our judgment, it is the most dangerous feature con- 
nected with the whole of this great controversy. 

The commotions already felt by the American peo- 
ple, have become ominous. The riots, the burning of 
property, and sacrifice of human life growing out of 
these labor troubles, are significant events of the past. 
These evils may increase more rapidly than some of us 
are now willing to believe, and bring on a national 
crisis before we anticipate it. 

This crisis, should it come at all, may come before 
the end of the first quarter of the coming century. In 
that event the school boy and young man of the present 
generation, will help to solve the difficult problem. In 
the effort to meets the case, you should be decided and 
firm in the support of the right, over against the wrong. 
Your power will principally be at the ballot box, in the 
offices you fill, and by the personal influence you will be 
able to wield over others. That power must be above 
party, above selfishness and free from the taint of bribes. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



The Bible. — Its Opening Doctrines. — Faith.— The 
Golden Rule. — True Merit Talued by All. 



The Bible is the book of books. The five books of 
Moses were written fifteen hundred years before the 
birth of Christ. It contains a definite statement of the 
origin of the world. Its history reaches back to the 
beginning of time. Its prophesies extend to the end of 
the world. Its revelations concerning God and the des- 
tiny of man are sufficiently clear and full to reveal the 
glory of the great Creator and promote the highest in- 
terests of mankind. It is what God designed it to be, 
and just what man, in his fallen state, needs. It has 
stood the severest criticism of able scholars and the bit- 
terest attacks of skeptics of every description. It con- 
tains in it the most ample proofs of its high origin. Its 
success in the past, and its present influence and power 
over the nations, give the most satisfactory proof of its 
final and complete triumph over every opposing power ! 
Take it for your guide. " Make it the man of your 
counsel." Obey its doctrines and precepts. Their ob- 
servance will secure God's favor and qualify you for 
greater usefulness. It will purify the heart and elevate 
character. As "righteousness exalteth a nation," so it 
also exalteth the individual believer. As "godliness" 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 189 

has the promise of the life to come, so, also, is it "pro- 
fitable unto all things" in this life. The morals taught 
in the Scriptures are so pure, so elevating and so com- 
mendable, that they have been received and adopted by 
the best and most worthy men of all ages in Christian 
lands. Even skeptics, from the highest to the lowest, 
with but few exceptions, have not the courage openly 
to attack the morals it teaches. Their attacks on Christ- 
ianity are aimed at other features of divine revelation . 
Some, it is well known, have written and spoken of 
them in terms of commendation. 

The first thing the Bible requires of us is faith. 
The apostle Paul says, without faith it is impossible to 
please God. Faith is the key that unlocks to us the 
inexhaustible stores of knowledge contained in the Bi- 
ble. Hence parents are required to instruct their child- 
ren in the doctrines and truths of the Scriptures, and 
to train them up in the way they should go. David, 
the most renowned of the kings of Israel, said (and 
Solomon, the wisest of men, repeated it), the " fear of 
the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." The fear of the 
Lord includes faith in Him and in the revelations He 
has given us in the Bible concerning Himself and the 
relations we sustain to Him. It implies a becoming 
reverence for Him, and the fear of doing anything that 
might displease or offend Him. It means the worship 



190 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

of God and obedience to His commands. It requires 
justice to all. This includes justice to one's self. It 
does not mean that a man should ignore and neglect his 
own interests, in order to serve others. Among the 
would-be good Christians there are some who are so 
exceedingly charitable as to consider it the duty of 
everybody else to drop his work and neglect his own 
business, in order to serve them. Such selfishness is 
not taught in the Bible. It requires us to deny our- 
selves, in order to render relief to the destitute, the poor 
and needy ; but it does not demand of us to love our 
neighbor more than ourselves. When we do unto others 
as we wish them to do unto us under similar circum- 
stances, we fully comply with the requirements of the 
second command. This commandment covers the whole 
duty of man to his fellow-man. Whilst you try to do 
your duty to others, do not neglect your duty to your- 
self. Whilst you are trying to do justice to others, you 
have a right to demand justice for yourself. In your 
attempts to do right, one step will prepare the way for 
another, just as one step in the ways of vice and crime 
prepares the way for others in the same direction. This 
is confirmed by the experience of all. 

Obadiah was a good man. He served the Lord 
from his youth. He commenced to obey God in early 
life. Step by step he went forward in God's service, 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 191 

until his reputation as a servant of God became exten- 
sively known. He lived in the days of Ahab, known 
in Bible history as one of the worst of men. Although 
a wicked, daring man, he desired a good servant, to 
place at the head of his household affairs. He selected 
Obadiah. Having put him into this high and respon- 
sible office, Ahab moved forward in his mad career. 
He married Jezebel, a heathen woman, which was a 
direct violation of the law of God. He now, under her 
leading, became an idolater. He abandoned the wor- 
ship of the God of Israel, in order to serve Baal, the 
leading idol of the Sidonians. He ordered the altars 
erected for the worship of Jehovah, to be pulled down, 
and others, in honor to Baal, to be erected in their 
stead. The object of Ahab was to supplant the worship 
of the true God, and in its place to introduce the idol- 
atry of the Sidonians. To accomplish his evil purpose 
the better, an order was issued against the prophets of 
the L<jrd. They were sought, many of them found and 
put to death. Where formerly the altars on which Is- 
rael had offered sacrifices, morning and evening, stood, 
heathen altars, with the worship of Baal, were now 
seen. Whilst this great change was being effected, no 
doubt the heart of Obadiah was made sad. He could 
not prevent the king from carrying out his evil pur- 
poses. No doubt the question arose with him as to 



192 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

whether he had better flee or remain at his post of duty. 
Great as was his danger, he concluded to stay and to do 
the best he could. 

The office to which Ahab had appointed him, was a 
very important one. Obadah possessed the qualifications 
to fill it. He* was known as a reliable man. A man of 
great integrity, whose honesty could not be called into 
question. In the management of the household affairs 
of the king, over which he had been placed, he showed 
himself worthy of the office he filled. The king, too, 
knew how to value his services. Hence, when the 
prophets and other good men were put to death by order 
of the king, Obadiah himself, although a prophet, was not 
molested. Whilst the king's messengers were in search 
of the prophets, and putting those they found to death, 
Obadiah gathered together one hundred and hid them 
in a cave. Under the peculiar circumstances in which 
it was done, this was a most difficult and hazardous 
undertaking. A fearful famine was raging all pver the 
country at the time. Provisions had become exceeding 
scarce and high. Hence it must have required a great 
deal of care and involved Obadiah in considerable ex- 
pense, to provide for so large a number. The under- 
taking, however, was successful. God gave it a favor- 
able issue. 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 193 

Obadiah, according to his own statement, "feared 
the Lord from his youth." In early life he commenced 
to obey the Lord and do that which was honest and 
right. This secured for him the divine favors. Under 
the divine favors and guidance alone, could he be 'suc- 
cessful in his work. A very important fact turns up 
and comes to view, in connection with the preceding 
facts. Royal tyrants, no less than others, when they 
have a significant office to fill, or important work to do, 
look around them and try. to secure the best, the most 
reliable men they can find. They do not desire, nor 
will they take into their service worthiness men. They 
do not want drunkards, spendthrifts and their like. 
Ahab was one of the worst men that ever occupied the 

throne of a nation. In the first book of Kings it is said : 

* 
" Ahab, the son of Omri, did evil in the sight of the 

Lord, above all that were before him." Yet, hard as 

was his character, he wanted a good man to be placed 

at the head of his household affairs. In these he took a 

lively interest. They were of vital importance to him. 

They involved the interests and comfort of himself and 

family. 

The policy of Ahab is the policy adopted in our day 

by all sensible and shrewd business men. They want 

the ablest and most reliable men they can find to serve 

them, in the various departments of business in which 



194 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

they are engaged. They not only desire to secure men 
qualified for the duties to be attended to, but men whom 
they also can trust, and rely on as perfectly honest. 

The possession of these qualifications induced Pha- 
roah to bring forward Joseph, and to exalt him to the 
high position he occupied in the government of Egypt. 
It was the integrity of Daniel that won for him the con- 
fidence and favor of Nebucadnezzar, who elevated him 
to a place of honor and authority, higher than any occu- 
pied by his princes and great men. 

These examples, as well as the course adopted by 
intelligent, experienced business men of every descrip- 
tion in our day, show what a high estimate is put on 
real worth and ability. In their selection of persons 
whom they desire to serve them, in any capacity what- 
ever, no boy nor young man will meet with favor, un- 
less his reputation is good and his record faultless. It 
must "contain in it honesty of purpose and principle, in 
the Bible sense, and which, in every-day-life develops 
itself in the faithful discharge of duty." Only those 
who possess these qualifications, need seek offices and 
places of profit and distinction. All others will be re- 
jected. 

Boys of industrious habits, who are not afraid nor 
ashamed to work for an honest living; boys and young 
men who are willing to step on the lowest rung of the 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 195 

ladder, and then earnestly exert themselves to ascend to 
the highest point in their reach ; these are the lads and 
young gentlemen that will be heard from in the future. 
They will make their mark in the world. Their names 
will go on the records of history. Their memory will 
be cherished by future generations. 

Another thought here suggests itself. It is the ex- 
ercise and confidence in yourselves. I would not have 
you become vain and boastful, but modest and true to 
yourselves. Do not try to exceed your abilities. But 
try to come up to their full capacity. Be regular and 
patient in the application of your time and strength. 
Put your trust in God and do your full duty. Occasion- 
ally you will find it more difficult to accomplish what 
you have undertaken to do, than you had anticipated. 
But do not throw up your arms. Hold fast the idea of 
success, and that you possess the abilities necessary to 
accomplish what you have undertaken. Then sum up 
all your energies and make your best effort. 

Many boys and young men, too, fail in their efforts, 
or make none, because too fearful and timorous. The 
efforts of such are only half-hearted. No wonder they 
do not succeed. Their lack of confidence in their own 
abilities is more than half defeat. Hence we see others 
of decision and pluck dash into their work or business, 
and put it through in a hurry. These pass others of 



196 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

equal or greater abilities, and soon leave them out of 
sight. 

The condemnation of the man in the gospel who had 
but one talent, was not based on the fact that he had 
only one and another five. But he was condemned be- 
cause, instead of using it as he should have done, he 
buried it. Had he put it to the right use, he would 
have had the approval of his lord, as had the one who 
by a proper use of the five entrusted to him, had gained 
other five talents. The same holds good when applied 
to boys and young men. In natural abilities, one has 
one, another three, and a third five talents entrusted to 
him. From the one that has three, less will be required 
than from the one that has five ; and from the one that 
has one, less will be required than from the one that has 
three. The one to whom but one talent has been en- 
trusted, however, will not be excused for doing nothing 
at all. He must not bury his talent, but trade and do the 
best he can with it. When he shall have done his full 
duty, his reward will follow. That reward will be ac- 
cording to his work. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



Practical Suggestions. 

It would be well to adopt some method for the 
management of your finances, by which some of your 
earnings of each year would be saved for the future. 
Country boys may not be able to make much during a 
year. Yet, by watching and duly improving the op- 
portunities they have, they will be able, every now and 
then, to add a little to what they have already saved. 
A corner in the field, or outside the fence, has been ly- 
ing waste. The soil is good. A little labor will put 
it in such condition as to make it productive. It can 
now be planted with vegetables, or anything else that 
can be turned into money. Here is an opening for the 
industrious boy. 

A boy known to be a good worker will be in de- 
mand with his neighbors, who more or less frequently 
need help. .Anxious to get employment abroad, he will 
push his work at home, so that when his services are 
needed and desired, he will be able to comply with the 
demand and earn something for himself. A judicious 
father will be able to do much, by a wise management of 
his own affairs, for the encouragement of his sons in 
this direction. Quite a number of days can be given 
them during the year in which to earn money with 



198 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

others, whilst the work at home can still be properly 
attended to. This will stimulate them to greater ac- 
tivity at home, and make it agreeable and advantageous 
to all. 

On the larger farms, at the crossing of fences, the 
corners occupy considerable space that cannot be turned 
to account in any other way than by the planting of a 
tree. Let the boys get permission to plant a peach or 
any other fruit tree in these corners. The tree will not 
interfere with the cultivation of the fields, nor with the 
growth of grain or grass in them. In three years, if 
properly attended to, it will begin to bear. In several 
years more, the fruit from the corner trees of a large 
farm will be worth considerable. If a cherry or apple 
tree be preferred to a peach, it will not become profit- 
able quite as soon, but in the end will be of equal or 
greater value. It will not only bear valuable fruit, but 
also answer important purposes as a shade tree for the 
cattle during the heat of summer. 

Passing through the country, we frequently see 
forest trees growing along the fences. Often they are 
of no value whatever, unless it be for shade. Why not 
cut them down for firewood and plant fruit trees in 
their places ? It would improve the appearance of the 
farm and pay much better. 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 199 

In our towns and cities boys find it necessary to 
adopt other methods, if they would earn anything. 
Whilst they have no waste ground to take in and culti- 
vate, and no places where they can plant trees, they are 
still not entirely deprived of opportunities to do some- 
thing for themselves. Openings present themselves all 
around them that can be made remunerative. To the 
ambitious, plucky boy this affords encouragement. He 
wants work. As he looks for it, he finds it near at 
hand. Accumulated snow drifts must be shoveled into 
the streets. Piles of wood thrown from the wagon 
must be carried into the back yard. Heaps of coal 
dumped on the pavement must be carried into the coal 
house or stored away in the cellar. Industrious boys 
can find something to do in almost every direction. 
For the work they have undertaken, the pay will be 
handed over and put into the purse. Boys, generally, 
are highly pleased with the idea that the money in their 
pockets was earned by their own hands. They become 
conscious that they have accomplished something. They 
see that their exertions have not been in vain. Their 
success in these their first efforts, will increase their 
ambition, and excite them to greater diligence and exer- 
tion. It will inspire them with feelings of self-respect, 
and induce them to apply their energies to their full 
extent to accomplish more in the future than they have 



200 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

accomplished in the past. With flying colors they now 
move forward, determined that whatever they may find 
to do, shall be done with their might. Success will 
mark their future history as the result of their efforts. 

The earning of money, however, is not all that is 
necessary for a prosperous life. It must also be turned 
to proper uses or safely invested for the future. It is 
very much to be regretted that so many boys and young 
men spend their money as fast as they can earn it. In 
our large towns and cities many of them become spend- 
thrifts. They are beset with temptations on every side, 
and, unless prevented by the good counsel and influence 
of their, parents and friends, will run through with 
what they have earned, so that at the end of the year 
they will have nothing to show for their labors. It 
would be well for boys of this class to understand that 
oft repeated saying : a A dollar saved is a dollar earned." 
Did the young, generally, more fully realize what it 
means, they would be much more economical. They 
would save much money that is foolishly spent. What 
a help it would be to them, if they had it when they 
become of age ! 

In order to encourage the young to save their money, 
savings banks for boys, and children in general, have 
been established at different places. They answer an 
excellent purpose, and give children a fair opportunity 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 201 

to show how much can be saved during the year by 
small deposits. 

In connection with the home established in Phila- 
delphia for the benefit of the newsboys in the city, there 
is a savings bank, in which these boys can safely de- 
posit their daily earnings. To encourage economy and 
the saving of the pennies earned from day to day, a 
prize was offered to the boy that would save the largest 
amount of money during the year. At the end of the 
year it was ascertained that a German boy was ahead, 
and therefore entitled to the prize. He was reported as 
having given his mother from ten to fifteen dollars, and 
yet had managed to save more than any one of the other 
newsboys. This corresponds fully with the character 
of the Germans in general. They usually adopt the 
closest economy, and (if not addicted to an excessive use 
of "lager'*), will not only make a living, but lay up 
money. Their children are taught the same close prin- 
ciples of economy, and this accounts for the success of 
the above boy who won the prize. 

In France savings banks for children are a common 
thing. In one town alone, it is said, over two thousand 
children are depositors in banks. In the larger towns 
and cities of the United States, institutions of a similar 
kind are well known. Unfortunately, however, the 
pennies and dimes of our American children find their 

14 



202 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

way into banks to a limited extent only. In too many 
cases parents and friends encourage children as they get 
a little money, to carry it to the candy store or toy shop, 
for candies or useless toys. In this way they are taught 
and encouraged from the days of childhood to become 
practical spendthrifts. With this start it grows into a 
strong habit, which, in very many cases, continues to 
the end of life. The result is, they fail and die in pov- 
erty. 

In every family, therefore, in which the children 
have not become depositors in some bank, something of 
the kind should be established, and conducted after the 
plan recommended on a previous page. 

Parents should suggest and insist on some such ar- 
rangement, in order that their children may learn to 
value and properly take care of the money that comes 
into their possession. 

Some who read these suggestions will have a pros- 
perous future. Others will not. Some will become 
distinguished. Others, for want of decision and the 
necessary exertion to become prominent and useful, will 
fail. Some, when they fail, lose all confidence in those 
around them, imagine that they have no friends, and 
that everything is against them. Under the pressure of 
these ideas they will lose all courage, undertake nothing 
worthy of their God-giveu powers; and even the little 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 203 

they undertake, they are not likely to accomplish suc- 
cessfully, because they lack confidence in themselves 
and those around them. 

Those who use the means and make the necessary 
exertions, however, will make their way upward in the 
world. These have pluck to risk, and energy to push 
their business enterprises, and whatever else they under- 
take, to a successful issue. They will not allow them- 
selves to be diverted from the object aimed at, nor to be 
discouraged by little hardships or difficulties that may 
meet them in the way. Their purpose is fixed. Their 
motto is onward. If their first efforts fall short of com- 
plete success, they will repeat them with increased en- 
ergy and diligence. Their persevering earnestness will 
not admit of defeat. And we most heartily congratu- 
late such in all their successes. Let it be remembered, 
however, that success in the accumulation of wealth, is 
not necessarily a blessing, but may become a snare. 
Not a few of the more successful and wealthy men of 
the age have been caught in this way. With the in- 
crease of business and the enlargement of their posses- 
sions, they have become close-fisted misers, guilty of the 
business tricks and frauds, by which sharpers impose 
upon their unsuspecting customers. Selfishness and 
avarice having gained the mastery over them, they exert 
themselves to make money, not for useful purposes, but 



20-1 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 



to hoard it. They have become worshippers of mam- 
mon, the god of this world. Having no heart to relieve 
the poor, nor to support the church in her benevolent 
enterprises, they spend, (if not too penurious) their sub- 
stance in the gratification of personal vanity and pride. 
Success in such cases is not a blessing, but rather an 
injury. It fills the purse with gold, whilst it shuts out 
Christ from the heart. It excludes the light of heaven 
fi om the soul, and envelops it in moral darkness. It 
deprives of the favor of God, and subjects the avaricious 
worldling to his displeasure. We suggest that you care- 
fully guard against such results. If your efforts to 
make your way in the world be successful, do not allow 
your gains to get the mastery over you. Wealth is a 
good servant, but a hard master. You had better be 
poor and free, than rich and a slave. The avaricious 
man, through the love of money, becomes selfish, nar- 
row and contracted in his views. His heart "never real- 
izes those pleasing emotions and feelings realized by the 
Christian philanthropist. He does not know how 
blessed it is to give for the relief of the poor, and for 
the advancement of Christ's kingdom. Although he 
has no children nor relatives that need his wealth, he 
makes no provision for it, after his death, to go to the 
support of the benevolent enterprises to which the Gospel 
requires us to give. He does not remember the church 
and her institutions in his will. 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN.- 205 

Guard against this error. Do not deprive jour- 
selves of the pleasure and rewards of Christian liberality. 
Honor God with your " substance," to such extent as 
the Gospel requires of you. The inspired Paul says "it 
is more blessed to give than to receive." To the poor, 
the destitute and suffering, aid is most acceptable. And 
with but few exceptions, it awakens the deepest feelings 
of joy and gratitude. But, great as is the feeling ot 
graditude realized by those who are the objects of Chris- 
tian charity, the persons who exercise that charity are 
more blessed. What is done in this way to a poor be- 
liever, Christ declares to be the same as if it were done 
unto himself. Besides, Christian liberality is not without 
its reward. It does not impoverish, as the miser seems 
to think, but really enriches. Solomon says, " there is 
that withholdeth and it tendeth to poverty." "There 
is that scattereth abroad and it enriches." Wealth can 
only be advantageous and a real blessing to its possessor, 
when duly appreciated as the gift of God, and used ac- 
cording to the directions of the Gospel. When used in 
any other way, it will become a source of trouble, if not 
a blighting curse. 

The fourth Commandment. " Bemember the Sabbath 
day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor and do 
all thy work," &c, &c. Ex. 20. 



206 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

The Lord's day was designed as a day of rest from 
all business and worldly employment. The object of 
its institution was two-fold. First, it was designed to 
come in as a day of rest from labor. Man's physical 
constitution requires the seventh day as a day of rest. 
During this day of rest his energies are prepared for 
the toil of the six days in the coming week. 

Secondly, the Sabbath was designed as a day of wor- 
ship. God required that the day be kept ".holy." The 
day should not be spent in idleness, but in acts of wor- 
ship. On this day the preaching of the Gospel, the ad- 
ministration of the Sacraments, and other services in the 
sanctuary of God's house should be attended to. Those 
who cannot repair to the places of worship, should spend 
the Sabbath in reading the Scriptures, in prayer and 
other devotional exercises. 

For the benefit of the young, the Sunday school and 
the Bible-class have been introduced into our churches. 
These are of special interest and advantage to the 
young. They have been the means of accomplishing a 
good work in every community in which they have 
been introduced and properly conducted. If not al- 
ready connected with the Sunday school, you should 
join the Bible class, or (if there be one connected with 
it) the catechetical class. You need these helps for 
your moral and spiritual improvement. They will be 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 207 

a real benefit to you. As you grow up and become 
young men, your connection with either of them will 
be a help and moral support to you. There is no other 
period in your life that is more critical than that which 
transfers you from youth over into manhood. It de- 
velops inclinations and tendencies unknown to you be- 
fone. Under the fiery impulses peculiar to that age, in 
your anticipations of future good, you will be likely too 
much to overlook present dangers and present interests. 
Consequently you will be likely to make mistakes and 
get yourselves involved in trouble. You will no longer 
regard yourselves as boys, but as young men. With 
this idea in your minds, you will mingle more exten- 
sively in society and enlarge your circle of acquaintances. 
Quite natural will it be for you now to conclude that 
your connection with the Sunday school or Bible class 
can be dissolved. You will find room to put in all your 
time elsewhere. Besides, you begin to be ashamed and 
embarrassed to meet in the school room with the smaller 
boys and children. You conclude to vacate your place 
in the Sunday school. Just here is your greatest danger. 
It forms a crisis in your history, and will have much to 
do in shaping your future life and character. If you 
quit the school, you will be likely to form associations 
with the vain and loose population around you. Under 
the influences brought to bear on you from this quarter, 



208 THE EOAD TO SUCCESS. 

you will lose the favorable impressions, made on you 
whilst connected with the school and its associations. 
Thus wrought on, you will be tempted to neglect all the 
religious duties you had observed before, and be in dan- 
ger of falling a victim to temptation and sin. If any 
change for the better will be attempted after this, it will 
be under great disadvantage. By far the better policy for 
you would be to continue your connection with the 
school. Your best and most reliable friends will all 
tell you the same." If you will heed their good counsel 
and continue in your class for the time being, you will 
find it much to your advantage. By doing so, you will 
become prepared in due time to pass from the school 
into the church, and thus to escape the evil influences 
and temptations you would otherwise be exposed to. 
Once having found a home in the church, you could at 
once be employed as a teacher in the Sunday school. 
Here you would find an opening to be useful to others, 
and, whilst serving them, also to improve yourselves. 



CHAPTER XX. 



Reverence God.— Show Due Respect for Things 
Sacred. 



It is very much to be regretted that parents do not 
pay more attention to the right training of their chil- 
dren. In many families, the children grow up without 
any religious instruction whatever, except what they get 
whilst at Sunday school. Nothing is said to them of 
the nature of divine worship, nor of the propriety of 
showing due respect for things sacred. Hence, when 
they enter a place of worship, they walk in as they 
would into any other building, unconscious of the fact 
that the house they have entered is God's sanctuary ; a 
place for which due respect should be had by all, be- 
cause of Him that is worshipped in it. More than this, 
some indulge in whispering, idle talk, and even in levity, 
whilst the services are in progress, to the great annoy- 
ance of those who are present as worshippers. Any- 
thing of this kind is out of place and in very bad taste. 
It is an offense against God and His church. 

What is still worse is the profanation of God's name, 
in which not only the roughs and outcasts of society in- 
dulge, but many from whom better things should be ex- 
pected. These habitually speak in a loose, irreverent 
manner about things they should not despise nor ridi- 



210 THE EOAD TO SUCCESS. 

cule. Conduct of this kind shows bad manners and in- 
dicates an irreligious life. Those who indulge in it, 
reduce themselves very much in the estimation of all 
right-minded and well disposed persons. 

In the Bible we read of angels ard archangels, who 
prostrate themselves with profound reverence before 
God and worship Him. How much more should we, 
poor, miserable offenders, in deepest humiliation honor 
and reverence Him ! 

Sir Isaac Newton, the distinguished astronomer, is 
said to have made it a rule to lift his hat in reverence 
for God, when he repeated God's name. Newton was 
a man of profound learning. His name will live and 
be honored long after the names of bold blasphemers 
will be forgotten, or known only as enemies of God and 
man. 

My young reader, follow the example of the great 
astronomer and others, who in like manner showed 
great reverence for their Maker. Show due respect for 
the Bible, for public worship, and the sacraments. All 
will respect you for observing these suggestions. 



CHAPTER XXI. 



The Work of Life Accomplished Step hj Step, 
Little by Little. 



The developments of life are gradual. The tender 
leaves of a few day's growth at our feet, are only the 
beginnings of what will be. The stem, the little 
branches, the flowers, and their results belong to the 
future. The germ in the acorn bursting its shell, reach- 
ing out and thrusting its tender roots into the ground, 
to appropriate to itself the moisture and strength of the 
soil, has not yet developed its possibilities into the full 
grown oak of the future. So the developments of 
human life in its earlier stages are only the beginnings 
of a process that will be full and complete in its outward 
forms as man matures in years. The boy of ten is not 
in bodily strength, nor in mental capacity, what the 
youth of sixteen will be. The changes through which 
the child passes in its onward history, are gradual, con- 
stant and certain, in the production of their results. 
The body increases in weight and strength.' The intel- 
lect strengthens and matures in like manner. These re- 
sults are reached by the development of the latent 
powers of life itself. The full and healthy development 
of these powers, however, depends on certain conditions. 
If these conditions are wanting, or any very serious 



212 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

impediments are thrown in their way, life may develop 
itself in the production of a mere dwarf, a mental im- 
becile. 

The process by which these results are reached in- 
cludes in it things apparently insignificant. Not one, 
nor several, but many little circumstances contribute to 
their accomplishment. So many little things that occur 
in our every-day life, which do not attract much atten- 
tion, all contribute, under some form or other, to make 
life what it is. In this way come our successes and our 
defeats. In this way come our pleasures and griefs, our 
joys and our sorrows. The contingencies by which, in 
a great measure, these results are brought about, have 
no absolute power over us. We are still free to act ac- 
cording to our better convictions. They may meet us, 
however, under the form of temptations, and thus may 
become our ruin. They stretch all along the path of 
life from boyhood to old age. 

In order that we may practice the good and realize 
its advantages, God has given us reason and common 
sense. To make the way of duty the more clear and 
desirable, he has given us in addition to these the light 
of the Gospel. We need but follow its instructions, and 
we shall be sure to find the right way. With the many 
helps at hand, children at an early age, as did Timothy, 
ought to learn to know the Scriptures. These Scrip- 



A BOOK FOR BOYS ASD YOUNG MEN. 213 

tures, we are taught, make wise unto salvation. There 
can, therefore, be no very serious difficulty in the way 
of becoming acquainted with our duty. We should be- 
come acquainted with it in boyhood. But this is not 
enough. It is required that we become not only hearers, 
but also doers of the duties enjoined by the Gospel. 
And this again requires will and purpose. If these be 
wanting, time will be lost and opportunities to do good 
will pass unimproved. 

So, too, when tempted to any wrong deed, there must 
be present a will and a purpose to resist, or improprie- 
ties and sin will be committed. In either case, whether 
it be to do right or to do wrong, we act from choice and 
are responsible for what we do. . This responsibility 
exists in the days of boyhood. An example or two will 
illustrate what we mean. A boy of fifteen is taken into 
some business house and employed as an errand boy. 
Presently he becomes suspected of dishonesty. A bait 
under tempting form is put in his way. As he meets it, 
he hesitates. He is afraid of being detected. He goes 
his way and leaves it untouched. But he frequently 
thinks of the coveted object. By and by, he yields to 
the temptation. He extends the hand, takes and appro- 
propriates to himself what he knows does not belong to 
him. 



214 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

Id this case, the power to resist the temptation and 
the power to yield to it, were possessed by the same in- 
dividual. First he willed to resist, and he did success- 
fully resist it. Afterwards, by an act of the will he 
committed theft. 

Had he resisted the temptation persistently ', he would 
have been safe. He would have gained the victory over 
wrong. His reputation for honesty would have been 
established. The way would have been prepared for 
him to places of responsibility and trust in the future. 

A boy is required to attend to some duty, in the ab- 
sence of his parents. On their return inquiries are 
made as to the performance of the work assigned him. 
The answer given is that it was done according to or- 
ders. -Doubtful of the correctness of the answer, other 
questions are proposed. Now the delinquent finds it 
necessary to add one untruth after another, to sustain 
his position "and lie himself out of difficulty." Will 
anyone deny that he could have obeyed and, in truth, 
reported that obedience? The results of obedience, or 
disobedience, it is easy to see from these and similar exam- 
ples, are very different. So with right or wrong con- 
duct in any case. The one elevates ; the other degrades. 

There may be a number of things in your deport- 
ment that are not in good taste nor conformable to right 
principles. You may have been ungrateful and un- 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 215 

kind to those around you. You may not have been 
submissive and obedient to your parents as you should 
have been. Perhaps you have used bad language. It 
is possible you may have indulged in great improprie- 
ties, which have reflected on your character and have 
given you a bad reputation. If such has been the case, 
we say to you in all kiudness, reform. Abhor the many 
wrongs you have practiced in the past. Turn from 
your evil ways. Pray God to help you. Adopt a dif- 
ferent course of life and conduct. By faith, repentance 
and reformatiou, you may obtain forgiveness of sin, and 
by proper confession of the wrongs you did others, be- 
come reconciled to them. This done, let a different or- 
der of things follow. Walk in newness of life. And, 
as natural life unfolds and develops itself, so wiU this 
higher order of life develop and manifest itself in 
righteousness, in a strict conformity to the principles of 
the Gospel. For the accomplishment and realization of 
this, use the necessary means and put forth your best 
efforts. We insist on this course, not because we expect 
you at once, and by your first efforts, to out-do the most 
consistent of God's people, and become angels before 
you will have had time enough to become worthy and 
good Christians. But, having made a start to do better, 
do not cease in your efforts to move forward. Diligently 
use the means necessary for your improvement, that you 



216 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

may " grow in grace and the knowledge of the truth," 
as you advance in life. 

Do not undertake to do too much at once. Make it 
your business to attend to present duty. Make it a 
point to perform it well, before you dismiss it to attend 
to anything else. Do not overlook and neglect little 
things. These, in the aggregate, become very signifi- 
cant. 

What has been said may be illustrated. Little kind- 
nesses and favors to mother, sister or brother, are always 
in order, and are likely to be duly appreciated. Sym- 
pathy for unfortunate ones with whom you are ac- 
quainted and such assistance as you may be able to 
render them, will be very acceptable. You may have 
no money to give them. But at the same time you 
may be able to serve them by deeds of kindness. The 
opportunities you have to do good in this way, should 
be promptly improved. Your sympathy, and the acts 
of kindness you may be able to render those in adver- 
sity, will be a relief and comfort to them. Nor are such 
deeds of kindness and charity rendered to those around 
us forgotten, as the selfish and coveteous worldling may 
imagine. They render useful, and secure the good will 
of those who are favored. So, too, your deeds of charity 
and kindness will not be without a reward. That re- 
ward may not come to-day, nor to-morrow, but be as- 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 217 

sured it will come. Years may pass by, when, unex- 
pectedly and to your surprise, your hand is pressed, and 
your ears are greeted with sincere thanks from the lips 
and hearts of those whom you had favored in their day 
of trial. 

Possibly, too, the time will come when those whom 
you now favor, will be able and heartily glad to do you 
greater favors than any you do them now. This has 
frequently happened. But independent of any return 
favors from them, your reward is sure from another 
source. The Scriptures assure us that kindnesses done 
those who fear God, shall be duly rewarded. 

LITTLE BY LITTLE. 

Little "by little the time goes by— 
Short if you sing through it, long if you sigh. 

Little by little— an hour a day. 
Gone with the years that have vanished away; 

Little by little the race is run, 
Trouble and waiting and toil are done ! 

Little by little the skies grow clear , 
Little by little the sun comes near ; 

Little by little the days smile out, 
Gladder and brighter on pain and doubt ; 

Little by little the seed we sow 
Into a beautiful yield will grow. 

Little by little the world grows strong, 
Fighting the battle of right and wrong ; 

Little by little the wrong gives way- 
Little by little the right has sway, 

Little by little all longing souls 
Struggle up nearer the shining goals ! 

Little by little the good in men 
Blossoms to beauty for human ken ; 

Little by little the angels see 
Prophesies better of good to be ; 

Little by little, the God oi all 

His chosen ones, to Heaven will call. 

15 



CHAPTER XXII. 



The Two Roads.— The Right and the Wrong. 



I have touched here and there, through the previ- 
ous chapters, on the realities of every-day life, pointing 
out the dangers that beset the pathway of the young, and 
pressing upon you the importance of always doing that 
which is right. At no period in your life should you 
forget to carry out this principle. It will be a help 
and support to you in all the varied circumstances 
through which you will make your way. At no time 
will you need its advantages more than when you be- 
come of age, and will be thrown on your own resources. 
Now no longer under the authority and guidance of pa- 
rents or guardians, you will find it necessary to make 
your way through the world as best you can. As you 
look into the future, realizing your responsibility, hopes 
and fears alternately rise ; hopes of prosperity and pleas- 
ing anticipations of brighter and better days. Fears of 
mistakes and their consequences are also present to the 
mind. You may possess means earned by your own 
hands, or the hands of others, but these alone are not 
sufficient to make life a success. They are a help, a bless- 
ing, when properly used. A curse, if abused or misap- 
plied. At this point in your history, two roads open 
up before you. The one is the road of industry, econ- 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 219 

omy, prosperity, influence, honor, usefulness and hap- 
piness. The application of your energies, wisely di- 
rected, will increase your possessions. Economy will 
guard you against extravagance and waste, in the use of 
your earnings. Prosperity is the flowing current that 
brings with it success. Influence gives power over 
others for good. Honor is the result of a virtuous life 
and noble deeds. All these put together, enable a man 
to become eminently useful. With the divine favor, 
happiness, in the Bible sense, will not be wanting. On 
this road, the honest and upright in heart delight to 
travel. It is the road of light, cheerfulness and real 
enjoyment. Believers, together with the great and the 
good of all lands, have preferred it.. Here we meet 
with Enoch, Abraham, Moses, David, Samuel, Elijah 
and others of like renown. 

The other road is very different from the one just 
described. It is not a " narrow/' but a " broad" and 
"crooked" road. According to Christ's statement, it 
leads to destruction. Although it is a hard road to 
travel and leads to a fearful end, many, very many 
prefer it to the one above described. It is the road of 
idleness, extravagance, disorder, vice and misery. 

It is the way of idleness. Idleness is unproductive. 
It is a barren tree. It brings to poverty and want. 
The indolent boy and the lazy man find it to their taste. 



220 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

Extravagance wastes what is at hand, without any proper 
forethought for the future. Disorders of every kind 
are noticeable in the conduct of those that travel on this 
road ; drunkenness, gluttony, Sabbath-breaking, profane 
swearing, together with the long list of vices named by 
Paul in his epistle to the Galatians. These, taken to- 
gether, make it detestable to all lovers of truth, virtue, 
and godliness. That this road leads to misery and 
wretchedness, must be admitted by all. Skeptics and 
infidels, together with all other enemies of God and his 
people, travel on it. 

Of course, persons traveling on this road, are not all 
alike. They are not all guilty of the same offences. 
One may be a glutton ; another a drunkard ; another a 
blasphemer. 

By way of contrast, I will here describe several per- 
sons, just suck as we meet and come in contact with, 
in the business of every-day life. 

In my description of persons, I will not go to ex- 
tremes, but give enough traits of character, to enable 
the reader to see why some persons get along success- 
fully, make their way through the world, live comfort- 
ably and amass wealth, whilst others with more means, 
and much more favorable opportunities, sink money 
from year to year and finally fail. 

We now devote some attention to the "easy-going 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 221 

man." He likes ease and comfort. Inconvenience and 
self-denial are things he cannot endure. He is a man 
of means, and, therefore, thinks he is under no obligation 
to be stringent in the use of money. Besides, he has 
an annual income that amounts to considerable, which, 
added to what he already possesses, enables him to keep 
up with the times. He has no idea of going to Europe, 
nor of keeping fine spans of horses and costly carriages, 
but there are a number of other things which he con- 
siders within his means. These he thinks he is entitled 
to and intends to enjoy. He would like to live in a 
good, substantial house. Hence he buys just such a 
residence as he desires for his home. Having a fine 
house to live in, he concludes to furnish it in good taste. 
Costly furniture and household goods must now be pur- 
chased. The house being well furnished, everything in 
it must be kept in order and good tasj;e. A servant 
girl becomes indispensible. Both husband and wife, 
and the children as well, must keep their wardrobe well 
furnished, so that they will not appear to disadvantage 
in society. There is nothing wrong in enjoying the 
luxuries of life, and hence the family must have their 
table loaded with the good things appetite craves. An 
occasional party or a costly dinner are enjoyable An 
occasional drink of lager or something stronger does 
not make a man a drunkard. A game of cards, the pur- 



222 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

chase of lottery tickets, betting on election days, at 
horse races, &c, are not the worst things a man can do. 
All this the man of ease and loose habits considers en- 
joyable. He sees no harm in any of them. Hence he 
makes the whole round, and besides is careful not to 
miss the annual shows and artistic renditions of the 
opera house, keeping himself always well supplied with 
good cigars, or a plug of the best tobacco. He moves 
along very nicely ; is considered a man of easy circum- 
stances ; lives well ; has good credit. But, as the years 
pass on, some one begins to suspect that the man is sink- 
ing money. This is whispered to others. Presently he 
finds it difficult to get the money necessary to keep up 
appearances. He becomes seriously embarrassed. His 
creditors press their claims. Next his property is seized 
and sold by the sheriff. The results of all this, and the 
future of the man and his family may easily be im- 
agined. 

"The man of thrift" will complete our contrast. He 
chooses the right road on which to travel. He per- 
ceives that life is not an empty dream. He realizes the 
responsibilities that rest on him. At every step he 
takes, discoveries are made. The realities of every day 
life, in their practical bearing, press themselves on him. 
He believes that what a man sows, that shall he also 
reap. He believes that evil deeds will bring forth evil 



A BOOK FOE BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 223 

results, and good deeds good results. Hence he takes 
heed to his steps. He carefully guards himself against 
doing the wrong, and faithfully strives to do that which 
is right. 

The first principle he adopts in the economy of life 
is, that he will live according to his means. He starts 
out with but little to go on, and, therefore, carefully 
counts the costs before he risks money or commits him- 
self to any business or employment. He adopts a close 
but safe economy. He purchases only what he needs 
and niust have to make his way. A little self-denial 
can occasionally be endured, with real benefit. He has 
no personal pride to gratify. He needs no articles of 
clothing for himself or family, except such as minister 
to the comfort of those who wear them. Healthy food 
in abundance is secured and used. The costly and un- 
necessary luxuries of life are not sought. The poor are 
not forgotten. Benevolent objects are supported. The 
saloon, the drinking shop, the gambler's den and other 
hot beds of vice he does not visit, nor in any way sup- 
port. He knows the value of the dollars he earned by 
honest toil ! Although he commenced without capital, 
under disadvantages, he has not only paid his way by 
his own industry, but has supported his family also, and 
from year to year has been able to save something for 
the future. This he carefully invested until able to 



224 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

purchase a comfortable home. Those dependent on 
him have all along been well cared for. He is gradu- 
ally laying up more than enough to support and make 
him comfortable in his old age. 

Whilst, in detail, we may not have given a perfect 
description of any two individuals, yet there are many 
around us with whom we deal or associate, who, in 
general, answer our description. We see one starting 
out on the business of life, moving forward with great 
success, whilst another, under more favorable circum- 
stances, gradually declines in business and finally fails. 
Each year the one increases his possessions, and the other 
sinks money. Suppose the one comes short three hun- 
dred dollars each year, and the other gains half that 
amount. Let this continue for thirty years, and then 
compare the figures, and you will be astonished at the 
result ! 

Besides, the man of thrift is more healthy, enjoys 
life better, is more useful, and much more respected 
than the other. Why this difference ? What is the 
secret of success with the one, and what the cause of 
failure with the other ? The answer is obvious. The 
one lived according to his means ; the other did not. 
The one adopted a wise economy ; the other did not, 
but ran through with much of his income by extrava- 
gance. The one could do very well without the use of 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 225 

tobacco and strong drink. The other used both freely. 
The one took more interest in his business than in shows 
and the opera house. He found more pleasure with his 
family than with gamblers. The other preferred these 
to home and family. The purse of the one was sound 
and full. The purse of the other had leaks, through 
which its contents were lost. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 



Sin. — Its Consequences. — Its Remedy, 



Sin is the transgression of God's law. John 3 : 4. 
The English word transgression is derived from the 
Latin transgressus, which means to go beyond or pass 
over prescribed limits. When God had created man, 
He placed him in the garden of Eden, with permission 
to eat of the fruit of all the trees in it, except the tree 
of the knowledge of good and evil. In reference to it 
He said to Adam, " thou shalt not eat thereof." When 
Adam ate of the fruit of this tree, he passed over the 
prescribed limits and thus became a transgressor of 
God's Word. His Word is the first and highest law 
given to man. Adam's transgression of this law was 
the first sin man committed against his Maker. 

The word sin is very frequently found in the Bible. 
In the Bible it is not always used in the strict sense we 
have given, but very frequently to mean any want of 
conformity to the requirements of the divine law. This 
law, in substance and meaning, is contained in the ten 
commandments. The first table requires supreme love 
to God. The second, that we love our neighbor as we 
love ourselves. The substance of the law is illustrated 
and the more fully developed in practical life, in what 
we see and learn from the biographical sketches of the 
great and good men given in the Bible. 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 227 

Love to God implies submission to His will ; faith 
in His Word ; obedience to its precepts ; a holy rever- 
ence and sincere affection of heart for Him. Love to 
man is inculcated in the words, " thou shalt love thy 
neighbor as thyself." This part of the divine law is 
stated in a more practical form by our Savior, when he 
requires us "to do unto others as we desire them to do 
unto us." Whenever we go beyond, or fail to come up 
to these rules of the Bible, we commit sin. Here, too, 
let us not forget that the obedience required must be 
perfect, in order to be accepted. As we have fallen in 
Adam and by his sin have become tainted, the obedi- 
ence required in the law has become impossible. Hence 
we all are, by nature, sinners. The transgression of 
Adam has involved the whole human family in de- 
pravity and sin. Hence Paul declares that "all have 
sinned and come short of the glory of God." 

Sin is a great calamity. It is the bitter root and 
source of all the evils to which man is exposed. God, 
therefore, warns us against sin and threatens its punish- 
ment. 

If, in the nature of things, sin is a great evil, the 
fruits must also be evil. This needs no proof. It is 
self-evident. A life of sin necessarily will bring forth 
calamities and miseries, from which not only others will 
suffer, but especially the man who commits the wrongs. 



228 .THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

For the Scriptures declare that " whatever a man soweth, 
that shall he also reap." If he sows sin, he will reap 
the fruits of sin. The nature of fire is such that anyone 
coming in contact with it, will be burned. So with sin. 
Just as certainly as the hand which carries in it live coals 
of fire will be burned, so certainly will the man who 
lives in sin, realize its burning, withering effects. Bible 
history, as well as the experience of the wicked, proves 
this to be true. God said unto Adam, " in the day thou 
eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die." The evil effects 
of Adam's transgression were immediately felt, as shown 
by his conduct soon afterwards. Previous to his disobe- 
dience, G od's presence was the chief delight of the soul. 
It had been as cheering as the light and sunshine. 
Eden had become a heaven on earth to Adam and Eve. 
But no sooner had they sinned than they began to real- 
ize the workings of a guilty conscience. Hence, when 
they heard the voice of God in the garden, they tried to 
hide from his presence. When taken "to account for 
what they had done, Adam put the blame on Eve. Eve 
put it on the serpent. Both were alike guilty and mis- 
erable. Not only did they become miserable themselves, 
but also entailed on their posterity the same misery 
they themselves experienced ! The Apostle Paul says, 
"by one man sin entered into the world, and death by 
sin ; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 229 

sinned." Death had been unknown, until sin was com- 
mitted. Through it death came into power over man. 
Not that man immediately died a natural death, but be- 
came subject to death. According to the exposition of 
able scholars, the original Hebrew means, "dying thou 
shalt die." The sentence "dust thou art, and unto dust 
shalt thou return," is in full harmony with the Hebrew. 
Adam and Eve did not immediately die, and return to 
earth. Adam lived to be nine hundred and thirty years 
old. The age of Eve is not given. 

All the miseries and evils to which man is subjected 
in this life, spring from sin. It is the origin of them 
all. Death is the last and worst of them. From these 
facts and the many declarations of Scripture on the sub- 
ject, it becomes quite evident that in no case can sin be 
productive of good results. Evil may be overruled by 
the hand of Providence for good. But that does not 
change the nature of things. Sin remains as great an 
evil as it had been before. And, in the ordinary 
course of events, its results cannot be anything but evil. 
Hence the wide difference between the believer and the 
unbeliever, the godly and the ungodly. The former 
lives in humble submission to God. The latter in open 
rebellion to his Maker. The one yields obedience to 
the requirements of the Gospel; the other does not. 
The one believes in Christ ; the other lives in unbelief. 



230 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

So, too, they differ in character. The one sustains a 
Christian character. The other the character of the 
worldling. As the deeds of the one are good, and the 
deeds of the other evil, in a general sense, so the one 
will be rewarded for his good deeds, and the other pun- 
ished for his sins. The reward of the righteous, and 
the punishment of the wicked, will extend alike over 
the present and the future of man's existence. 

The inspired Paul says, "the wages of sin is death/? 
Viewed in this light, we cannot escape the conclusion 
that death is the result of sin. For this there is no 
remedy. We may obtain forgiveness of sin, but not de- 
liverance from death. The believer, no less than the 
unbeliever, must die. As the consequences of sin ex- 
tend beyond the boundaries of time in the form of pun- 
ishment, it becomes a matter of greatest moment to ob- 
tain forgiveness. The resurrection will restore to life 
the body, but will not cancel sin nor deliver from the 
punishment it so justly deserves. 

Hence it has become quite natural to the honest, 
serious thinker to inquire, is there no remedy for sin ? 
No way by which its evil consequences may be evaded 
or prevented ? The Gospel answers these questions in 
the affirmative. The remedy it proposes is Christ, the 
mediator between God and man. He says "I am the 
way, the truth and the life. No man cometh unto the 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 231 

Father, but by me." "The blood of Jesus Christ, his 
son, cleanseth us from all sin." The language of Christ 
is, " Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy 
laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon 
you and learn of me; for I am meek and lovely in 
heart, and ye shall find rest to your souls. For my 
yoke is easy and my burden is light." Mat. 11 : 28-30. 

Having found the remedy for sin, it becomes a mat- 
ter of the greatest importance to know how we can ap- 
propriate and apply it, so as to be rescued from the 
power of sin, purged from its impurity, freed from its 
penalty, and restored to the favor of God. This sub- 
ject shall receive our attention in the next chapter. 

Meanwhile I will add a few more practical thoughts 
in reference to sin. God has so constituted us that sin 
cannot be committed by man, without, in greater or less 
degree, inflicting punishment on himself. Every sinful 
act will produce its natural results to the person who 
commits it. An incendiary puts the torch to his neigh- 
bor's barn and reduces it to ashes. The first thing he 
realizes is a consciousness of guilt, at the bar of con- 
science. Although he succeeds in keeping his crime 
concealed, he is constantly harassed by anxieties and 
fears of being detected. The wrong he has done will 
be a source of uneasiness and misery to him to the end 
of his life. If, on the other hand, he be suspected, ar- 



232 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

rested, tried, found guilty, and sentenced to years of 
confinement in the penitentiary, his folly will be a con- 
stant reproach to him, haunting him day and night. 
His years of confinement will be long and weary. When 
his confinement ends, he realizes with double keenness 
that he is regarded as a criminal and an outcast of so- 
ciety. Even with the greatest care and best behavior, 
he feels that he labors under great disadvantage. Dur- 
ing his whole life time he will more or less frequently 
feel the sting of that one evil deed. So, in case a man 
steals, defrauds his neighbor, deceives, misleads by false 
statements, becomes guilty of vice or crime of any kind, 
he not only wrongs others, but he also wrongs himself. 
The evil deed brings its reward on its perpetrator, in 
the consequences unavoidably connected with sin. If 
even there were no future punishment of sin, the best 
policy possible in the case is, to avoid it under every 
form. 

This, my young reader, is the only way in which 
you can make life a success, and prepare yourself for 
what lies beyond. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 
Religion. 



The young become more or less embarrassed in 
reference to different subjects, which occupy a prominent 
place in the New Testament. Faith, repentance, for- 
giveness of sin, conversion and regeneration, are insisted 
upon as necessary to our salvation. Now the question 
arises, what are we to understand by these ? Different 
views are entertained in reference to them, and conse- 
quently different explanations are given. Hence, with 
you the question naturally arises, how can we know 
which of the views and theories advanced is correct? 
The best you can do, is to read and study the Scrip- 
tures; think for yourselves. The New Testament is 
clear and easily understood in what it teaches. Christ 
says, "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy 
laden, and I will give you rest." Mat. 11 : 28. 

What is it to come to Christ ? It is to believe on 
Him. "He that believeth on me, hath everlasting life. 
John 6: 47. 

And what is it to believe on Him ? " Now faith is 
the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things 
not seen." Heb. 11: 1. 

Faith has to do with things invisible, of which we 
can have no knowledge outside of the Bible. It re- 
16 



234 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

ceives as true what the Bible teaches concerning them. 
By faith thy become living relatives to the believer. It 
includes a knowledge of God, as far as he has revealed 
himself to us in the Bible. It produces in the believer 
an assurance that Christ, to whom we must come, is 
both able and willing to save. Hence he puts his trust 
in Christ. Faith is the link, or bond that unites them. 
Christ is the power that saves. As the branch is par- 
taker of the life of the vine, so the believer, united with 
Christ by faith, is made partaker of eternal life in him. 
Thus we become Christians, and are recognized as God's 
people, as soon as we believe. The Christian life of the 
believer, therefore, begins with faith. The three thou- 
sand brought to a saving knowledge of the truth 
through the sermon Peter preached on the day of Penti- 
cost, asked what must we do? The answer from Peter 
was, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in 
the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins. 
Acts 2 : 37-38. 

Repentance and baptism are both conditioned on 
faith. Repentance is produced by faith. And, before 
anyone could be admitted into the church by baptism, 
faith in Christ was required. Paul says, without faith 
it is impossible to please God. .Paul and Silas in the 
prison at Philippi, when asked by the keeper of the 
prison, " what must I do fo be saved ?" replied, " be- 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 235 

lieve on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved, 
and thy house." Acts 16 : 30-31. 

In connection with faith, the Scriptures require a 
prompt obedience from all. Believers must not only 
believe, but also obey God. Obedience is the test and 
proof of our faith. Those who came to Christ to be 
healed of Him, believed in his power to heal them. 
Their application was not in vain. He cured them of 
their diseases. In connection with the cures He did, He 
required them to obey His word. The lepers whom He 
cleansed from leprosy, He directed to go to Jerusalem, 
show themselves to the priests, and through them offer 
in sacrifice for their cleansing what the law requires. 
Luke 5: 12-17. Luke 17: 12-15. 

Zaccheus, who found favor with Christ, was com- 
manded to come down from the tree he had ascended in 
haste. The man whom Christ cured of palsy, was com- 
manded to take up his bed and walk. Luke 5: 20-26. 

The blind man must go and wash in the pool of 
Siloam, in order to have his sight restored. John 9 : 7. 

Obedience is based on faith, and always follows 
it. It is the best and most conclusive evidence of faith. 
James says, " faith without works is dead." Hence, be- 
lievers will in all cases obey. The three thousand 
on the day of Pentecost obeyed Peter. They were bap- 
tized and received into the church without delay. The 



236 THE ROAD TO 8UOCESS. 

jailer at Philippi and his family were baptized in the 
same night, in which he had asked " what must I do to be 
saved ?" As soon as the Ethiopian, with whom Philip 
rode in the chariot, became enlightened and believed in 
Christ, he desired to be baptized. On confession of his 
faith Philip baptized him. The same order of things 
continues still. Believers are required to enter the 
church through baptism. With the command of Christ, 
to observe the sacrament of the holy supper, constantly 
before them in the Gospel, they have no rest of con- 
science until they obey. 

The preceding contains no explanation of conversion 
and regeneration, as taught in the Gospel. 

The parable of the prodigal son, recorded in the fif- 
teenth chapter of Luke, was designed to bring to view 
and illustrate the most important features of conversion. 

The prodigal, whilst spending his time and money 
in riotous living, represents the sinner's course in sin 
and disobedience to God. His rags, poverty and want 
mean the shame, disgrace and misery the sinner brings 
upon himself by the disobedience to God. His coming 
to himself answers to the sober, sincere reflection of the 
awakened and convicted. His decision to return to his 
father's home, make confession and ask for admission to 
the home he had forsaken, illustrate the penitent's sub- 
mission to God, his confession of sin and earnest prayer 



A BOOK FOE BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 237 

for pardon and acceptance with God. The father's 
generosity in admitting him to his home, removing his 
rags, &c, strikingly illustrates God's goodness and ten- 
der mercy in forgiving sin, and in reinstating the sinner. 

Conversion means a change of sentiment, feeling and 
conduct. In his conversion the sinner turns away from 
sin, in true penitence, to God — to love, obey and serve 
Him. 

In the third chapter of the Gospel by John, Christ 
said : " Except a man be born again, he cannot see the 
kingdom of God." 

What is here taught by Christ, is commonly called 
regeneration, or the new birth. Nicodemus understood 
Christ in a wrong sense, and hence asked, " how can" 
this be ? In His answer Jesus said : " Except a man 
be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into 
the kingdom of God." What Christ here says belongs 
to the sphere of things spiritual. To be born of water 
and of the Spirit means baptism. The believer, bap- 
tized with water, has the forgiveness of sin, and by bap- 
tism, through the regenerating power of the Holy Ghost, 
is born into the church, which is the kingdom of God 
on earth. 

On these subjects strange and erroneous views are 
held. Some have no definite or fixed ideas on anything 
taught us in the Scriptures. Everything seems to be 



238 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

involved in mystery to them. Hence, when they hear a 
sermon, they cannot tell whether the Gospel is preached 
or something else. Like a vessel out at sea, without 
pilot or rudder, they are at the mercy of the contending 
elements. Others, no more intelligent, are ever ready 
to boast of their knowledge and experience. As they 
are in no sense qualified to teach others, we need not 
wonder at the errors they commit, and the contradic- 
tions and inconsistencies in which they become involved. 
You should, therefore, be on your guard against the 
dangers to which you are exposed in this direction. 
Sometimes you may meet leaders in the church, or prose- 
lyting ministers, who lay claims to a high degree of 
holiness and superior wisdom, who are governed by 
sectarian bigotry more than by the elevating, pure doc- 
trines and truths of the Gospel. What you need is not 
denominational bigotry and mere excitement, which will 
soon pass away, but the abiding presence and comfort- 
ing support of Christ, the great head and life of the 
church. Seek His pardoning mercy and favor. This 
you need not do under the gazing eye of the crowd, 
embarrassed and confused by their presence and sneers, 
but you can do it with greater certainty of success in 
secret. Hence, Christ, the great Teacher, in His infinite 
wisdom and tender love for distressed ones, says, "when 
thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast 



A BOOK FOR BOYS AND YOUNG MEN. 239 

shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, 
and thy Father which seeth in secret, shall reward thee 
openly." Matth. 6:6. 

In these words not man, but the divine Master, 
speaks. He gently leads you away from the vain help 
of man, to bring you into the immediate presence of 
Him who alone can relieve you from the misery and 
bondage of sin. Here you can freely unbosom yourself 
and bring your heart's complaint before the mercy seat. 
Conscious of your sinful, helpless condition, seek with 
Him the help you need, the help He alone can give 
you. For your encouragement, He bids you "ask, and 
it shall be given you ; seek, and ye shall find ; knock, 
and it shall* be opened unto you : for every one that 
asketh, receiveth ; and he that seeketh, findeth ; and to 
him that knocketh, it shall be opened." Matth. 7 : 7, 8. 

Be assured that God will do what is here affirmed 
for those who come to Him in the way here directed. 
Take Him at His word. None that come unto Him 
will be disappointed and sent away without a favorable 
answer. In your approach to God in secret, it is not 
necessary for you to explain your troubles to Him ; not 
necessary to tell Him you need forgiveness of sin, must 
be born again, converted, &c. " For your Father know- 
eth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him." 
Matth. 6 : 8. He understands your case infinitely bet- 
ter than you do. And always bear in mind, the changes 



240 THE ROAD TO SUCCESS. 

necessary to your acceptance with God must be brought 
about not by you, but by Him. You can do nothing 
in this direction, but submit yourself to Him. "Ask," 
"seek," "knock." The promised result will be realized 
by you. All necessary changes, whether you can un- 
derstand and explain them or not, will be experienced. 
You will become new creatures in Christ. Old things 
in the form of a sinful life will pass away and a better 
order of things follow. 

Thus you will learn from experience, under the lead- 
ing and working of the Holy Ghost, what it is to be 
" converted," " regenerated," and " born again ;" also 
what it is to obtain " forgiveness of sin," &c. Having 
thus started in the right direction, if not already united 
with the church by a public profession of your faith in 
Christ, the use of the means of grace, as directed by 
Christ, will bring you into the church. You cannot 
obey Him without seeking to be baptized (unless your 
baptism has already been attended to), and having be- 
come a member of the church by this initiatory sacra- 
ment, you will be entitled to all the rights and privi- 
leges of full membership. Here you will find favor- 
able influences at work, to help you on in your way 
keavenward. Here you will have duties to perform, 
and blessed privileges to enjoy. The pastor will be 
your spiritual adviser. Under his care we leave you, 
and bid you an affectionate adieu. 



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